What Brittney Griner Did on First Night Back in the U.S.

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Brittney Griner has been back in the United States for a couple of weeks or so and is beginning to get back into the normality of life.

The 32-year-old WNBA star was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.

Cherelle Griner
Cherelle Griner (L), wife of Olympian and WNBA player Brittney Griner, speaks after U.S. President Joe Biden announced her release from Russian custody. She has revealed how the basketball star has adapted to life... Getty Images

The Phoenix Mercury player had traveled to Russia to compete in a pro league there during the WNBA off-season.

Brittney was released earlier in December in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout and after being medically cleared to leave Texas after her return, she went back to the Arizona home she shares with her wife.

Cherelle has now spoken about those moments when they were reunited and how they spent their first night together again in the U.S. after nearly 10 months apart.

Speaking to People magazine, Cherelle said: "The first night, we didn't sleep at all.

"We just talked all night long and all morning. And it was so good to be able to do it without three weeks in between the conversation, because, for 10 months, we were passing letters. It was great to have that dialogue back and forth."

Despite not having a peaceful night's sleep since Brittney was detained in February, Cherelle said that forgoing rest for another night or two was never an issue.

"I had all my freedom. I had my bed. But when you have your family overseas in a situation like that, time zones play a factor.

"Every night, that's the only time I could talk to her attorneys and I could handle things, anything related to Russia. And so I just hadn't slept."

Cherelle said that she now happy that she has a chance to rebuild her life with Brittney and to learn what she went through while detained in the Russian prison.

She added: "It's unfortunate that those 10 months happened without us being able to be side by side.

"But it happened, and we're embracing the fact that we now get to learn each other's story through that time. So we're taking it slow.

"We are not doing it all at once. But we are honoring the fact that I went through something that was really hard and difficult without BG's awareness, and vice versa," Cherelle added.

"Day by day, we're just feeding a little bit to the soul and understanding each other's journey so we can actually start walking together."

Brittney Griner
WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner waits for the verdict inside a defendants' cage during a hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, on August 4, 2022. She was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with... Getty Images

Speaking about Brittney being back home, Cherelle said: "On one hand, I'm doing amazing.

"My family's whole, I have my person, and so I feel the most supported and safe and secure as I've ever felt in life. But it's very overwhelming.

"We're plus-13 days in from BG being away for almost 10 months. So it's a new journey for us. And so we're definitely trying to figure out how we blend back as one."

Biden said in a televised statement: "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along.

"I'm glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She's relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she's lost months of her life, experienced needless trauma," the president added.

"She deserves space, privacy and time with their loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained."

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