The Latest Breaking News from Brittney Griner

Here are the details regarding Whelan’s continued detainment in Russia.

After months of painstaking negotiations with Moscow, it became clear to President Joe Biden's administration that it faced a grave choice - to exchange notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner or else get no American to bring home.

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was released on Thursday in a prisoner swap with Russia after the two-time Olympic champion and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player spent more than nine months detained on a drug possession offense. Here are some comments in reaction to her release:

Biden says US still unable to broker release of marine veteran Paul Whelan, accused of espionage by Moscow

“I am so happy to hear of the news of BG’s return home. I know I can speak for the entire Sky organization when I say words can’t express the happiness that we feel to finally have her coming home,” coach/GM James Wade said.

There are still numerous questions around the WNBA star’s detainment and the deal that brought her home, but for now there is relief.

Stars of the sporting world led celebrations of Brittney Griner’s release on social media

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was released on Thursday in a prisoner swap with Russia after the two-time Olympic champion and player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)spent more than nine months detained on a drug possession offense. Here are some of the key moments in her ordeal:

The WNBA star is on a plane from Russia, with a new cause to fight for.

The brother of an American detained in Russia for nearly four years says the Biden administration “made the right decision” to agree to a prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner

The basketball star was first detained in February, and had recently been moved to a Russian penal colony