Brittney Griner went through an extremely tough time last year during her exile in Russia. She was held captive for 294 days before being released in a prisoner swap deal. The Biden administration traded her for Viktor ?Merchant of Death? Bout, an infamous arms dealer from Russia. Griner came back home after braving through a lot of struggles in a Mordovian penal colony, much to the jubilation of fans. Now Griner is slowly settling down and seems to be enjoying life once again as she recently ditched her favorite sport to enjoy another one.
The center for Phoenix Mercury is an 8x WNBA All-Star and is considered to be one of the best female athletes in Basketball. Most athletes are generally interested in different sorts of sports and Griner is no exception.
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The WNBA star took some time off her schedule to enjoy some tennis with her wife. She was recently seen at the Indian Wells 2023 with her wife Cherelle, courtesy of the young Russian star Daniil Medvedev.
Brittney Griner spends some time with her wife enjoying a different sport
The 2014 WNBA Champion was at the Indian Wells Masters 2023 with her wife Charelle. The two also posted clips on their Instagram stories from ongoing games. One of the games included the Women’s Doubles Finals in front of a packed house. The couple could be seen enjoying a glass of wine while witnessing the action from a distance.
Cherelle also posted a clip from Daniil Medvedev’s semi-final victory against the American tennis star Tiafoe. The 27-year-old will take on Carlos Alcaraz Garfia on Monday in the the Indian Wells men’s singles final.
Medvedev is currently going through a very successful period in his career. The question is can the 27-year-old add a third championship to his tally this year after winning the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championship. Besides that, he has won 19 straight games and will be going into the final game after defeating Frances Tiafoe of the USA 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) in the semifinal.
Griner’s presence at the game must be a relieving sight for her fans, as there were a lot of speculations after her release regarding the trauma she went through in Russia and how long will it take for her to get back to her usual life.
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Griner’s life in her Mordovian penal colony
The WNBA star was sentenced to prison for 9 years by a Russian regional court after Airport authorities seized vape cartridges with cannabis oil in them from her belongings. Though it is legal now in most parts of America, cannabis is still a banned substance in Russia. Various reports on Griner’s Mordovian penal colony had fans worried about her safety.
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Standing tall at 6 foot 9, Griner was simply too tall for the sewing work that all prisoners do in the colonies. So, she was asked to carry fabric all day as part of the task assigned in prison. The popularity of her cause also shielded her from any kind of torture or mistreatment.
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