It was her first news conference since being released from Russian captivity, and WNBA superstar Brittney Griner made fine use of it on Thursday.
Griner, who spent nearly 300 days in a Russian jail before being released in a prison swap last December, appeared fully aware the press was hanging on her every word. And while many people likely tuned in to hear her recollection of what it was like being imprisoned, she gave them much more to chew on.
“Little different than basketball press conference[s],” she said at the start. “Lot of media in here today.” After thanking the press for covering her captivity, Griner told them she expects to see the same amount of press coverage around the WNBA’s upcoming season.
That was thematic of Griner’s remarks Thursday: She’d acknowledge the uniqueness of her experience in Russia — and people’s yearning to hear about it — while trying to churn something more positive out of her newfound celebrity, whether that meant more attention for the WNBA, more equity for women in sports, or even greater attention to international affairs.
She was visibly emotional when a reporter asked about the resilience it took to survive in captivity, sharing:
“I’m no stranger to hard times, so — just digging deep, honestly. You’re gonna be faced with adversities throughout your life. This was a pretty big one, but I just kind of relied on my hard work. Getting through it. I know this sounds so small, but you know, dying in practice and hard workouts, you find a way to just grind it out. Just put your head down and just keep going. Just keep moving forward. You can never stand still. And that was my thing: Never be still. Never get too focused on the now, and just [look forward] to what’s to come.”
Griner offered similar advice to others being held in captivity, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, who’s been detained in Russia on espionage charges.
Shortly after, when a reporter asked Griner whether…
Read the full article here