Brittney Griner Vows to Never Play Overseas Again After Russian Detainment: ‘Unless I’m Representing My Country at the Olympics’

WNBA star Brittney Griner won’t be leaving the country to play basketball any time soon.

Griner spent 10 months in Russian captivity after she was found to be in possession of cannabis oil at an airport. Prior to her arrest, she’d spent a number of offseasons playing in Russia because of the salaries offered there. She continually maintained that the oil was mistakenly packed, but the Russian government sentenced her to nine years in prison for the crime. President Joe Biden’s administration designated her as “wrongfully detained,” and she was eventually freed in a prison swap involving Russian arms deal Viktor Bout. She’s now working on a book detailing her time within the penal colony.

The 32-year-old, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, spoke to the media about her basketball future. She made it clear it will not include her normal offseason routine.

“Well, I can say for me, I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics,” she said during the Thursday press conference. “You know, if i make that team, that would be the only time I would leave the US soil, and that’s just to represent the USA.”

Griner isn’t the only player that travels during the offseason. Playing overseas has become a popular way to make more money since salaries in the WNBA pale in comparison to salaries in the NBA. She hopes her case will help to shrink that gap.

“I’ll say this: You know, the whole reason a lot of us go over, you know, it’s the pay gap,” Griner said. “A lot of us go over there to to make an income to support our families, to support ourselves. So I don’t knock any player that wants to go overseas make a little bit (of) extra money.

“I’m hoping that our lead continues to grow; and with as many people in here right now covering this, I hope you continue, like i said, to cover our league, bring exposure to us. I hope a lot of these companies start to invest in our craft because as you’ll see this season – if you haven’t watched before – we have a really good craft in ourselves in the WNBA, and it’s a shame that we have to leave our families for holidays. I mean, you’re missing everything being away.”

Watch above via NBATV.