Brittney Griner made a surprise appearance at an MLK Day march in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday, just weeks after her release from a Russian penal colony.
The WNBA star surprised a group that had gathered for the march on what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 94th birthday by attending the event with his wife, Cherelle Griner.
Griner, 32, posed for photos with fans and was in the photo riding in the back of a golf cart at the event.
The Phoenix Mercury star said she was happy to be home after being detained in Russia for nearly a year, an NBC affiliate said. KPNXbased in Phoenix, reported.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, returned safely to the United States in December after being released in a prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow.
In exchange for his release, the United States freed Viktor Bout, an arms dealer known as the «Merchant of Death,» who was serving a 25-year prison sentence handed down by a judge in 2012.
Griner’s return came nearly 10 months after she was first detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after Russian authorities said they found vape canisters laced with cannabis oil in her luggage. The athlete was later jailed on drug charges.
The WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in prison for allegedly possessing the vape cartridges, which she claimed was unintentional. She was being held in a penal colony prior to her release.
«It feels so good to be home!» Griner said on an Instagram to post on December 16 days after his return to the US.
«The last 10 months have been a battle in every way,» he wrote. «I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that kept me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your help.»