“Griner’s Basketball Comeback with VP Harris as Guest Star: WNBA Season Opener Coverage”

2023-05-20 15:39:19

Vice President Harris as a guest star

Basketball comeback: Griner back on the court following imprisonment

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) throws the ball.

© Source: Maximilian Haupt/dpa

After her detention in Russia and the subsequent exchange of prisoners, Olympic champion Brittney Griner has been back on the basketball court. At the WNBA’s season opener, fans from both teams cheered her on loudly. Also present at the game was a very special guest star.

The Angels. Olympic champion Brittney Griner made her comeback in the WNBA professional league with US Vice President Kamala Harris as a guest star. The basketball player, who was imprisoned in Russia for ten months, was loudly celebrated by fans of both teams at the season opener between her Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday evening (local time) in California.

Read more following the ad

Read more following the ad

Even when they first scored for the guests, there were loud cheers in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Vice President Harris had come on the court before the game, and tennis legend Billie Jean King and former Lakers star Magic Johnson were in the audience at the Mercury’s 71:94 defeat.

Griner wasn’t satisfied

“The love from the fans when I came out was extraordinary,” Griner said followingwards. Despite her 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, she wasn’t satisfied. “It wasn’t good enough to win.” On Harris’ visit, Griner said, “That was great. It was nice to be able to talk to her face to face and say thank you. The team really enjoyed her coming too.”

Read more following the ad

Read more following the ad

Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, 30, presents Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris with a jersey before a WNBA basketball game.

© Source: Ashley Landis/AP/dpa

Because of the ten months in Russian custody, Griner missed the entire past season. She was arrested at Moscow airport in February and convicted of possession of vape cartridges containing marijuana oil. She was released in December following a prisoner swap between the US and Russia. Friday’s game was her first WNBA game in 579 days. At that time she had lost the fourth game in the final series with Phoenix once morest Chicago Sky.

Griner reported that many little things mean more to her since then, “because tomorrow is simply not guaranteed”. However, she also has to make sure “that I don’t get too distracted by everything. I’m here to work. I can feel it, but I also have to put it aside.”

RND/dpa

1684730292
#Brittney #Griner #basketball #comeback #prison #Russia