Brittney Griner makes second public appearance since Russian prison release at WM Phoenix Open

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner made her second public appearance Saturday since her December release from a Russian prison.

Griner was one of about 200,000 fans at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is a tournament on the PGA Tour. 

She watched from the stadium 16th hole, according to The Associated Press.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist’s first public appearance was in January at a Martin Luther King Jr. march in downtown Phoenix.

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Griner skipped the USA Basketball training camp in Minnesota earlier this week so she could spend time with her wife and recover from a 10-month prison stint in Russia.

USA Basketball coach Cheryl Reeve told The AP on Monday that she had not spoken to Griner yet, but the organization has made it clear that she can take her time deciding if she wants to return to the national team.

“We’ve missed her and when she’s ready we’ll welcome her back,” Reeve said.

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Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in August 2022 after pleading guilty to drug charges, was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a controversial prisoner exchange in December. She arrived back on U.S. soil on Dec. 9.

She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 after Russian authorities said she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil inside her luggage. Griner was returning to the country to play basketball internationally in Russia’s Premier League for the seventh year.

Bout, who is known internationally as the “Merchant of Death,” was serving 25 years in federal prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans relating to the support of a Colombian terrorist organization.

Though she remains an unsigned free agent, Griner has stated she will play for the Phoenix Mercury again this season.

“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” she wrote on Instagram Dec. 16.

She has not commented publicly on her future playing internationally or the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.