WASHINGTON, D.C. — WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from a Russian prison. 

President Joe Biden made the announcement during a morning press conference today.

Embed from Getty Images

Griner has been in Russian custody for nearly ten months after airport authorities found two cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. She was originally sentenced to 9-years in a Russian penal colony. 

The release was contingent upon a prisoner exchange between the United States and the Russian Federation. 

As part of the deal between the two nations, the U.S. had to release convicted arms dealer, nicknamed the Merchant of Death, Viktor Bout. Bout was serving a 25-year sentence for providing materials to terrorist organizations, export of anti-air missiles, and conspiring to kill Americans. 

SOURCE: DEA

Biden, during the press conference, said, “Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones where she should have been there, all along.”

Jay Salley is the news editor for the Guardian. Social Media Links: X: https://x.com/JayHSalley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonsalleysr/ Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/jason-salley-1