Brittney Griner’s third Olympic gold was clearly the most significant for the US team center.
After Sunday’s dramatic 67-66 victory against the French team in the final of the women’s basketball tournament at the Olympic Games in Paris, the 33-year-old was overwhelmed by her emotions and began to cry on the podium.
Griner was competing in her first Olympic Games since being released from a Russian penal colony two years earlier in a controversial prisoner exchange.
In addition, the lawyer for other wrongfully imprisoned Americans is celebrating victory following another prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia – this time allowing the safe return of former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Admittedly, Griner didn’t know if she would ever get this chance again.
“This has meant a lot to me,” Griner said after winning her eighth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball. “I mean, just having the chance to play for gold, to represent my country, what my country has done for me? Yeah, that’s the biggest thing here at the summit.”
Tears stream down the face of American Brittney Griner during the national anthem
Gold medalist Brittney Griner of the United States on the podium begins to cry during the national anthem
Brittney Griner of the United States kisses her wife Cherelle after winning the gold medal match
With this gold medal win, Griner capped a long journey back after spending two years in a Russian penal colony, unsure if she would ever return home, let alone play basketball or compete in a third Olympic Games that would be held in Europe so close to Russia.
She was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for drug possession and smuggling and spent 10 months in prison before participating in a high-profile prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury who had been playing basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason when she was arrested, said she would never play internationally again except for USA Basketball.
After scoring four points in five minutes on Sunday, Griner now wins her third gold medal for the USA and plans to put it alongside that of her newborn son, Bash.
“It was a long, hard road to get back into the sport,” said the 33-year-old. “I’m just glad my body held out and I was able to be here.”
Griner has learned to appreciate the little things at the Olympics more than she did in her first two appearances, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. In 2021, Griner led the U.S. in scoring with 30 points, the most points ever scored by a U.S. player in a gold medal game.
That was three years ago, but Griner’s ordeal in Russia made her appreciate the mundane details of each day.
“Waking up, going to practice, even if you don’t want to practice, having the opportunity to do so because we overlook it,” she said. “This is the chance we get and I’m just enjoying every second I can now.”
During those games, the U.S. conducted another high-profile prisoner exchange just hours before Griner took the field during group play. Knowing more Americans were coming home, she was “head over heels” for their return.
Teammate Diana Taurasi, who had campaigned for Griner’s return while serving her sentence, stood two teammates away from Griner during the medal ceremony and national anthem. Taurasi said she could feel Griner’s emotions and called it almost “mind-blowing” that Griner had returned to this point.
“She’s grateful for all the support she’s had during this time,” Taurasi said. “And it hasn’t been easy. And it’s still not easy for her. She still carries a huge burden… of making sure everyone gets out. She carries that burden very heavily on her back.”
WNBA star Brittney Griner in front of a Russian court in Moscow, Russia on July 27, 2022
Evan Gershkovich (right) and Paul Whelan (left) followed Griner from Russia back to the USA
Viktor Bout started a political career after his release from an American prison
This image taken on November 19, 2022 shows the entrance to the IK-2 penal colony in the town of Yavas in Mordovia, central Russia, where Griner was held.
During the game itself, Griner quickly scored four points and secured the win with two rebounds.
She celebrated the victory on the basketball court with lots of hugs, including from Lisa Leslie and others cheering on the Americans at Bercy Arena, which was essentially an away game for the U.S. and had French President Emmanuel Macron in the stands.
“The gold (medal game) is just the icing on the cake, along with being in the Olympics… too,” Griner said.
Then it was time to celebrate again as the Americans gathered in the middle of the court for photos. Griner pulled out a phone for the team selfie with her right hand and held up her latest gold medal with her left hand.
This was definitely an unforgettable moment.
