American Brittney Griner Released by Russia in Prisoner Swap for Arms Dealer Viktor Bout

WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on Aug. 4, 2022. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner has been released by Russian authorities in a prisoner swap for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.

“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden told reporters at a Dec. 8 briefing at the White House.