Brittney Griner recounts time in Russian prison in new interview, reveals she contemplated suicide

WNBA star Brittney Greiner, who was previously detained in Russia, spoke about her experience in detention in an interview Thursday, revealing that she contemplated suicide while in custody.

Greiner, who plans to publish his memoir “Coming Home” next week, said: spoke to the New York Times About his 10-month stay in a Russian prison and how things have been since his release.

“I’ll never forget any of those words,” Griner said, emphasizing each word, according to K. Wortham of the Times.

The Phoenix Mercury star was detained by Russian authorities in February 2022 as he entered Russia to play during the WNBA’s offseason. After her bag was searched at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimiki, security guards found an e-cigarette cartridge containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia.

She pleaded guilty to drug charges in July 2022 and said the cartridge was unintentionally stuffed into her bag. Although she did not intend to violate Russian law, she was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, she said.

Her imprisonment drew international attention, with the United States announcing that she had been “unlawfully detained.” She was released on December 8, 2022 as a result of her prisoner exchange after serving approximately 10 months in prison.

In the interview, Greiner spoke in detail about life in Russia. When she arrived at the local detention center, all she could keep was a few pieces of clothing and a Sudoku book. She tore her T-shirt into several pieces to clean her teeth and body, and to get toilet paper.

“I’ve never been so dirty in my life,” Griner said, adding that the neglect, degradation and poor treatment led to suicidal thoughts. “I felt terrible.”

Griner lay awake at night worrying about his family and the stereotypes of black drug abusers, the Times reported.

While there, she befriended a cellmate who spoke fluent English and helped her order food and water, as well as warn her about illnesses in the prison. Surprisingly, Ms. Greiner developed two habits during her time in prison. She smoked up to a pack of cigarettes a day to relieve stress. She also found comfort in reading the Bible.

After her release, she had mixed reactions. She received hate, she said, telling her “how unpatriotic” she was, “un-American, and she shouldn’t be alive.”

Griner said he was nervous about playing basketball again after an injury-plagued season in which he was briefly sidelined.

“People say it’s okay to not be okay,” she said in an interview. “But what exactly does that mean? Do I cry when I want to? Or get angry when I want to? Or do I mean talk about it? Well, I had to figure that out.”