While it’s not uncommon for Brittney Griner to wear the Team USA logo on her Olympic basketball jersey, she heads to Paris as a more thoughtful athlete following her experiences after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Griner, a two-time U.S. gold medalist, was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison two years ago for drug possession and smuggling after federal customs officials found him in possession of an e-cigarette cartridge containing less than one gram of hash oil, which is illegal in Russia.
Griner was later released in a high-profile prisoner swap with Victor Bout, known as “The Merchant of Death,” who was serving a 25-year federal sentence for conspiring to assassinate Americans and government officials.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
United States women’s basketball national team players Brittney Griner (No. 15) and Diana Taurasi (No. 12) stretch during practice at the 2024 USA Basketball Showcase at City Sports on July 22, 2024 in London, England. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Before appearing in the WNBA All-Star Game, Griner, a star for the league’s Phoenix Mercury, said putting on a Team USA jersey now gives her goosebumps.
“Honestly, this means everything to me,” Griner said, via The Associated Press. “For me, the honor of putting this uniform on again and winning a gold medal is the greatest joy of all.”
The song wasn’t always sung by Griner, and she previously suggested the WNBA shouldn’t play the national anthem before games in 2020, when social unrest was at the forefront with the Black Lives Matter protests.
WNBA star Brittney Griner plans to have her kids call her ‘Daddy’
“I think that’s the attitude we should take,” Griner, who has knelt during the national anthem, told The Arizona Republic in July 2020.
But Griner said her joy at hearing the anthem changed when she returned from Russia, where she was playing international matches to supplement her WNBA income.
“It’s kind of like going to the Olympics, where you sit down and you get your gold medal around your neck, the flag is raised and the national anthem is played. It feels totally different,” she said, hearing the anthem for the first time since returning to the United States.
Griner also recently appeared on “The View” to hit back at people who have criticized kneeling during the national anthem as un-American, saying she was “shocked” by their words.
“We’ve all made mistakes in the past,” Griner said in response to those who deemed her “careless.” “I’m really surprised that you’re not patriotic because my dad fought for this country as a Marine in the Vietnam War in 1968, 1969, and as a police officer for over 30 years. He was my hero. I wanted to be a cop. I didn’t want to play basketball as a kid. I wanted to be a cop and join the military. And don’t you think protesting makes me more American? It’s my right as an American. So I’m surprised that you’re calling me un-American.”
Brittney Griner takes part in a United States women’s basketball team training session at City Sports in Franklin Building in London before their match against Germany at the O2 Arena in London in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games on July 22, 2024 in London, England. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Now that he’s heading overseas again, Griner feels very “protected” by the U.S. team.
“It’s nothing like it was before. Completely different,” she explained. “The level of comfort and safety that we enjoy now makes it a lot easier.”
Griner also had a lot to celebrate off the court recently, announcing that his wife, Sherrell, gave birth to their son, Bash, on July 8. Griner acknowledged that it will be tough being away from his parents while representing his country.
U.S. Team Head Coach Cheryl Reeve spoke about Griner and her first overseas experience since her imprisonment in Russia.
“Thinking about something outside of the Olympics, thinking about someone’s personal experience, what she went through and is still going through,” Reeve said. “We’ve all been thinking about her while she’s been away and we didn’t know if this moment would ever come to fruition. I’m excited for her personally and for our basketball team.”
U.S. women’s basketball national team player Brittney Griner (number 15) poses for a portrait during the 2024 WNBA All-Star training camp in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 17, 2024. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
Aiming for another gold medal, the U.S. team will open its Olympic Games with a group match against Japan on July 29 in Lille, France.
Fox News’ Hannah Panrec contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital X’s sports coverage,subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
