BRITTNEY Griner has been released from prison in Russia.
The WNBA star was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, officials said.
5WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroomCredit: AP:Associated Press
Griner was held for months in a Russian prison after being convicted of drug charges.
The one-for-one prisoner exchange was approved by president Joe Biden within the last week, CBS News reported.
The agreement was reportedly reached last Thursday.
Biden shared a message about Giner's release on Thursday alongside a picture with her wife Cherelle and vice president Kamala Harris.
"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home," read his tweet.
The deal between the US and the US leaves American corporate security executive and former Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia in what American officials have called fraudulent charges.
Russian courts sentenced Griner to nine years in prison on August 4 on drug smuggling charges for bringing hashish oil into the country.
Griner was heading back to New York in February 2022 when she was stopped at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after a scan revealed that she had cartridges containing liquid with hashish oil.
She will be honored in a ticker-tape parade in Fifth Ave. this Friday.
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