The WNBA superstar was airlifted to San Antonio, Texas, after serving a nine-year sentence in Russia.

Brittney Griner has returned to the United States after being exchanged for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, often known as “The Merchant of Death.”

The 32-year-old WNBA superstar was transported by plane to San Antonio, Texas.

US special presidential envoy, Roger D. Carstens, said: “So glad to have Brittney back in the United States! Welcoming back BG!”

Ms. Griner was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport when customs officials discovered cannabis oil-filled vape cartridges in her luggage.

She pleaded guilty at her trial, stating that she had taken the cartridges to alleviate the pain of sports injuries and had committed an “honest mistake.

In August, however, a Russian court sentenced her to nine years in prison.

US President Joe Biden stated that Ms. Griner was kept under “intolerable conditions” and endured an “awful ordeal.”

He said that Ms. Griner “represents the best of America.”

President Biden stressed that the United States has not forgotten about former marine Paul Whelan, who remains in a Russian prison.

A senior US official stated that the administration did everything possible to remove Mr. Whelan, but to no avail “They are not treating him the same way. They claim he is a case of espionage. They stated that the options were one [Griner] or none “.

He made no mention of the price the United States paid for Ms. Griner’s freedom, which was the release of convicted arms dealer Bout.

Cherelle, the spouse of Ms. Griner, described herself as “overwhelmed with emotions” after experiencing “one of the worst moments of my life.”

“Today, my family is whole, but as you all know, there are many more families that are not complete.”

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Griner-Bout swap occurred at Abu Dhabi airport.

“The Russian national has been repatriated to his native country,” the statement read.

Washington is under pressure in the Griner case

Bout was one of the world’s most infamous arms traffickers for nearly two decades, providing weapons to rogue regimes, rebel groups, and homicidal warlords in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Since his detention in an intricate US sting operation, the Russian government has been eager to return him.

President Biden’s decision to release Bout emphasizes the increasing pressure on his government to return Ms. Griner to the United States, especially in light of the recent end of her criminal trial and subsequent relocation to a prison colony.

Ms. Griner’s incarceration was widely criticized by activists, including former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who claimed he planned to travel to Russia to rescue the American basketball player.

In a letter to President Biden sent on Independence Day, the Texan-born athlete expressed her concern that she could be imprisoned “forever.”

She penned: “As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the safety of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I am scared that I may spend the rest of my life here.

“On the fourth of July, our family typically honors those who fought for our freedom, especially my Vietnam War veteran father.

“It stings to consider how I typically enjoy this day since this year, freedom means something very different to me.”