?Someone Just Punched You in the Stomach??: Brittney Griner?s Tough Time in Russian Prison Brought About Similar ?Physical Pain? for Wife Cherelle

It has been about three weeks since Brittney Griner was released from her Russian exile and she made her way back home. While the worst is over for the WNBA star, it will probably take some time for Griner and her wife Cherelle Griner to regain composure and get back to their everyday life. While Griner’s conviction was a hard pill to swallow for many, her wife, Cherelle was the one who took the worst hit other than Griner herself. Now that the Griners are back home savoring precious holiday moments, Cherelle took out some time to reflect back on the agonizing times of the past.

Brittney Griner supporters beamed with joy following the news of the Phoenix Mercury star’s release. Griner was freed on December 8 as part of a prisoners exchange deal involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Moments later, President Joe Biden announced from the White House that Griner was on her way home. An emotional Cherelle receive her wife at the tarmac and teared up the moment she saw her from the window of the plane. Cherelle talked about her entire journey in a recent interview.

Cherelle Griner recalls the time she spent apart from Brittney Griner

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine, Cherelle Griner revisited the time her wife, Brittney Griner was in Russia. Griner was detained by Russian authorities on February 17 for possession of hash oil in vape cartridges. She remained in Russian custody for several months before she was sent to a penal colony after being sentenced to nine years in prison.

“It was almost as if somebody just punched you in the stomach and you inhaled. You never get to breathe out,” Cherelle told PEOPLE, remembering the time she heard the news of Griner’s sentence.

The ten months Griner was in Russian custody, Cherelle was working on freeing her wife by pleading to the public and the US administration. Amidst all this, she managed to finish her law school, but her wife’s exile persistently haunted her.

“I was hopeless a lot of days. You try and stay grounded, but I’m human. Still, I would never completely give up hope on my wife’s life,” said Cherelle.

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She was both ecstatic and emotional when she finally got to hold her wife in her arms. The spouses are now focusing on moving past everything that happened and reconnect with each other.

Cherelle wanted a change in her career

Cherelle Griner, who used be a teacher, became a lawyer this year after she graduated law school. The WNBA star’s wife expressed her wish to become a voice for ‘wrongfully detained Americans’ around the world. Cherelle felt that not enough voices were being raised about the issue. Therefore, she aimed to make sure such matters were heard. Brittney Griner has also stressed the need to use her platform to influence the swift release of Americans imprisoned overseas.

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