Brittney Griner told supporters their letters helped her 'to not lose hope' when she was wrongfully detained in Russia, and encouraged them to write to fellow hostage Paul Whelan.
"You took time to show me you cared and I want to personally take the time to write to you and say that your effort mattered," the Phoenix Mercury's eight-time all-star center wrote."Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined.But while Griner is grateful to be home and spending the holidays with her family, she said she cannot forget those who can't do the same.
The United States had pushed for a deal that would win the releases of both Griner and Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges and has been detained since 2018. But Russia refused, insisting on a one-for-one swap of Griner for Viktor Bout, a notorious arms dealer held in a U.S. prison since 2012.
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