Consider This from NPR - Brittney Griner shares her experience behind bars in Russia

Episode Date: May 7, 2024

Brittney Griner didn't know the flight she was taking to Moscow in February 2022 would upend her life. But even before she left for the airport, Griner felt something was off.It was a premonition that... foreshadowed a waking nightmare.She had accidentally left two vape cartridges with traces of cannabis oil in her luggage. What followed was nearly 10 months of struggle in a cell, and diplomatic efforts from the U.S. to get her home.Griner reflects on the experience in her new memoir, 'Coming Home' and discusses it in depth with NPR's Juana Summers.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The flight that Brittany Greiner took to Moscow in February 2022 would upend her life. And Greiner says even before she left for the airport, she felt like something was off. I felt like the universe was kind of telling me like, hey, don't go. From waking up late to couldn't find my phone. Greiner, of course, was a star for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. In the offseason, she was also a star on a Russian EuroLeague team, a job that paid her many times more than her WNBA salary. She was flying to Russia to rejoin her teammates for what she thought might be her last season there. It was just so many things that was like, hey, don't go. But I had to finish what I
Starting point is 00:00:46 started, though. So she boarded her flight. When she arrived at the airport in Moscow and went through customs, an officer asked her to empty her bag. And she realized she had accidentally left two vape cartridges with traces of cannabis oil in her luggage. It was prescribed by a doctor, but in Russia, it's illegal. Oh my God. It's kind of like one of those moments like people talk about before like a crash or something and you see like your life flash or it's just like the breath is completely took out of your lungs. That's the exact feeling. Like, I don't know, elevator and it just fell.
Starting point is 00:01:24 And I literally started contemplating everything that could go wrong. Of course, a lot did go wrong. WNBA all-star Brittany Griner was apparently detained last month. Brittany Griner's detention in Russia has been extended now. Brittany Griner convicted today on drug charges in Russia. Today, a Russian judge gave her a nine-year sentence. Consider this. Brittany Griner spent nearly 10 months in detention in Russia. For the first time, she is sharing details of what she experienced. We'll hear from her after the break. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers. It's Consider This from NPR.
Starting point is 00:02:15 Brittany Griner was first detained in February 2022. That was just a week before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The relationship between Russia and the U.S. was getting progressively more hostile. And so Greiner became, in her words, a chess piece in a showdown between superpowers. And while that geopolitical chess match unfolded in news stories across the world, Greiner lived through a very lonely, very painful detention. It was very harsh. In her new memoir, Coming Home, Greiner details mental and physical humiliation in Russian custody. She recounts constant pain from squeezing her six-foot-nine frame into cramped beds and cages and cutting her locks because it was so cold that her hair
Starting point is 00:03:07 literally froze. I did not feel like a human. The U.S. negotiated her release in a prisoner swap for a convicted arms dealer, and Greiner returned home in December 2022. In my interview with her, we talked about what she went through in Russia and the challenges she's continued to face since coming home. Here's our conversation. For those that may be hearing these details, this part of your story for the first time, can you describe some of the conditions and situations that you faced first in detention, then during your trial, and later in the labor camp? Yeah, the detention center. Never forget the first day walking into quarantine and literally see some scissors and a pretty nice-sized knife just sitting on the table. And I'm like, well, this is already different. One person barely spoke English a little bit. So it was a lot of pointing and just unknown, not knowing if my lawyer knows where I'm at or if anyone knows
Starting point is 00:04:14 where I'm at. I basically had to drink this milky sediment water that came out of the sink, just the isolation, the super just filthy, the most filthiest place you can think of, times 10, those conditions on top of the blistering cold and having to stand outside. You wrote that at one point you had thoughts of ending your life. How often did you feel like that? Definitely when I got put in the county cell and I had literally nothing, no toothbrush, no soap, no necessities, nothing. I literally had two shirts, sweats, and a hoodie and my shoes on my on my on my feet and I had to take a shirt and rip it up into different pieces to use to clean myself wash off with um it was the most degrading and just flat out dirtiest I've ever felt in my whole entire life
Starting point is 00:05:22 everything was setting in on the unknown. I didn't know anything at that point. It was very early on. And I just sat there and thought about ending it, just came up with a plan on how I could do it. But after a couple of days and just thinking about it, what is my mom going to say? What is my what am I dad, my brother, my sister, my wife? You know, I couldn't do that to them. I already am locked up abroad. I can't add any more any more stress to them like that. prison, but you also talked so much about the ways in which you had already been denied certain privileges and freedoms because of your appearance, because you're a Black queer woman. And I don't know, I can't help but see some clear parallels between those two situations. Yeah. You know, I've definitely seen the other side of being discriminated against, you know, with just being part of the LGBT community and being a black athlete and, you know, being told, you know, that I need to shut up and play. I'm just an athlete.
Starting point is 00:06:40 I just need to be grateful. The pay and equity that we have in between our league and the men's league. And quite frankly, that's why I was even in Russia in the first place, an incredible celebration of women's sports, of women's basketball, due to some of the superstars in the college game who recently were drafted, people like Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese. And yet, this pay gap that you've discussed prominently still persists. How do you square those things? How are you feeling about this moment for your sport? I mean, I'm feeling hopeful, for sure. I mean, just this last March Madness, you know, the ratings definitely showed that people are tuning in to the women's game. We've come a long way and, you know, we're starting to get into those rooms and being able to advocate for ourselves. And, you know, with Kaitlyn Clark, Angel Reese, even the younger ones coming up, Paige and Juju, it's just going to keep getting better.
Starting point is 00:07:49 We're just going to keep growing and keep pushing the envelope. There is this moment that you write about in the book that I'm hoping as a story you can tell us. It's when you and Sherelle were reunited on the tarmac in San Antonio after you spent 293 days separated from one another. What was that like? Breathtaking. It was just kind of reminded me of the first time I ever saw her on campus. It was just, I didn't think I was going to see her again anytime soon. I thought it was going to be a good nine years before I saw my person. When I saw her through the window, I immediately broke down. I couldn't get off that plane quick enough. I'll never forget that. I just remember us just hugging, hugging, hugging,
Starting point is 00:08:35 just holding each other, crying. And then I was like, all right, let's get off this tarmac. Let's get inside. I mean, I just can't even imagine, given how much it's clear that you two love each other from what you've written, living with that uncertainty of not knowing when you're going to see your person again. What was it that got you through those days when you just didn't know? Relying on my faith, honestly. And it definitely grew more while I was gone. I was just coming into, honestly, my faith with my wife. She was helping me with that. That's why I always say she saved my life in so many ways.
Starting point is 00:09:16 She opened my eyes to religion in a positive way. Because there was a lot of days where I just didn't have the energy. I just didn't have the willpower. I had to give it to something higher than me and just believe and hope. After what you've been through, how do you cope when you hear people suggest that you don't deserve to be home with your wife, with your family, to be back with your teammates? It hurts. It definitely hurts. I mean, I'm human, so it hurts a little bit. But at the end of the day, you know, everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
Starting point is 00:09:50 And, you know, I can't let it affect me. But I will say this, if it was up to me and it was in my hands, everybody that was in Russia would have came back. And I remember getting on that plane when I did get the chance to come back. And, you know, I was really hopeful that, you know, Paul was on that plane with me. You're talking there about Paul Whelan, who's among the other Americans who has not been able to return home yet? Yes, ma'am. felt and about the fact that something that was an honest mistake, as you've said, led to months away from your wife and family, months under the conditions that you've been telling us about. And
Starting point is 00:10:31 you also wrote about how despite getting forgiveness from your family, from your wife, it was hard to let go of that guilt. How did you get to a place where you felt able to let that go and to forgive yourself if you have? A lot of counseling. A lot of counseling, just therapy, talking. Everybody kept telling me to, you know, give myself grace. And that was the hardest thing to do because at the end of the day, you know, my dad taught me you just take ownership for things that you've done, like willingly and unwillingly. So I had to take responsibility. And it was just, it's really hard.
Starting point is 00:11:12 I think at times I still feel like I haven't forgiven myself, honestly, because I'm just like, I robbed my family of time with me. I brought my wife of those special moments, graduating and just being there for her. That's probably my last healing piece that I will hopefully get to eventually. Yeah. How are you thinking about the future, Brittany? I mean, when I think of the future, I think it's going to be good. You know, we have a little one on the way. Congratulations. And my wife, thank you.
Starting point is 00:11:51 We're expecting a little boy on the way. So I'm just looking forward to parenthood and just enjoying every single moment of it. And, you know, all the talks my dad and mom gave me growing up and just saying, you know, one day you'll understand how much we worry and why we worry and why we give you lectures. And I'm already worrying about my kid and, you know, they haven't even got here yet. I mean, they're here, but we're not at the birth date yet. So, but I'm already starting to worry. I'm starting to see what they mean and just enjoying every moment we can. Last year, you said that you would not play overseas again unless you were representing the United States in the Olympics.
Starting point is 00:12:34 And the Paris Games, they're less than 100 days away. Mm-hmm. You think that's came to my rescue. I wouldn't be here without my country. And to go and potentially win another gold medal for us, it's just going to mean so much standing on that podium and watching the flag go up. We've been speaking with Brittany Griner about her memoir, Coming Home. Brittany, thank you for your time. Thank you so much.
Starting point is 00:13:12 If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988-SUICIDE-IN-CRISIS lifeline by dialing or texting 988. This episode was produced by Alana Burnett and Connor Donovan with audio engineering by Phil Edfurs. It was edited by Ashley Brown and Courtney Dourning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. And if you haven't heard, you can now enjoy the Consider This newsletter. Just like on the podcast, we help you break down a major story of the day, but you'll also get to know our producers and hosts, and we'll share some moments of joy from the All Things Considered team. You can sign up at npr.org slash consider this newsletter.
Starting point is 00:14:00 It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

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