Officials give latest on Brittney Griner's health following US return: "But I know that was a happy phone reunion to hear his daughter’s voice"

Brittney Griner has returned to the United States after being detained in Russia for almost 300 days. The WNBA player was detained in February 2022, just a week before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

The 32-year-old basketball star received an evaluation at a U.S. military hospital in San Antonio, Texas. She is grateful to be back in her home country and is reportedly in good spirits.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was able to call her father from the plane, while she was returning to the U.S., which was a huge relief for him.

Brittney Griner is in good spirits

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the former WNBA champion was gracious and in good spirits following her release from Russia.

Considering that she was away from home for almost 10 months, there is no doubt that she will need a lot of time to process everything and heal. However, bringing her back was definitely the right decision.

Griner was evaluted at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.

Sheila Jackson Lee, the Texas Democratic congresswoman, revealed that the basketball superstar was able to talk to her father while she was on the plane.

“They all want to see her and might even want to see her back here at home, but I know that was a happy phone reunion to hear his daughter’s voice,” the congresswoman said for CNN.

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Upon returning to her home country, the eight-time WNBA All-Star was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas for a routine evaluation.

Roger Carstens, who has served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, shared some good news regarding the basketball player.

"she was full of energy,” Carstens said. “Looked fantastic. She’s in Fort Sam Houston right now undergoing some medical evaluations, but she seems to be just fine.”

Considering everything that she has gone through, Brittney Griner will need a lot of time to completely heal. Fortunately, the worst part of her life has come to an end.

Will Griner return to the WNBA?

Brittney Griner may not return to the WNBA anytime soon. While this decision is completely up to her, the basketball star has gone through a lot of stress in the past 10 months, so expecting her to return to basketball soon is somewhat unrealistic.

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Considering that she is one of the best players in the basketball league, a lot of fans want to see her back. Griner has also received a lot of support from her teammates and other players in the league.

However, she will probably take it one step at a time and work on fully recovering. Her time in detention has affected both her mental and physical health, which is why she needs time and space.