WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner fights back tears at a news conference, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
By John Marshall
Brittney Griner got emotional quickly.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges, the WNBA star had to take a moment to compose herself after being asked about her resiliency through the ordeal.
“I'm no stranger to hard times,” Griner said Thursday from the lobby of the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Mercury and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. “Just digging deep. You're going to be faced with adversities in life. This was a pretty big one. I just relied on my hard work to get through it.”
Griner's first news conference drew more than 100 people, including Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, members of the Mercury organization and her wife, Cherelle.
Griner was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
After nearly 10 months of strained negotiations between Washington and Moscow, Griner was exchanged in the United Arab Emirates for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8.
Griner kept a low profile following her return to the U.S. while adjusting to life back at home, outside of appearances at the Super Bowl, the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open and an MLK Day event in Phoenix.
Amal Shah, host of VSin's 'Odds On', joins Cheddar Bets to break down his favorite dark horse teams in each conference and how to be successful when live betting.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Amanda Casey Vance, Sports Betting Analyst for Bookies.com, joins Cheddar Bets to break down a massive College Football Championship Game week, and what the final CFP Ranking will look like.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Major League Baseball entered its first owner implemented lockout in nearly 30 years after the league and the player's association were unable to come to an agreement on a new labor deal.
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, another school shooting in America and more. Plus, bidding farewell to 'transitory' inflation, and the controversy surrounding 'Lovely Bones' author Alice Sebold.
Major League Baseball and its players' union remain at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement, and if a deal isn't reached by 11:59 P.M. eastern time Wednesday, the league will experience its first work stoppage in more than two decades. Ryan Fagan, Senior MLB Writer at The Sporting News, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the impact of such an event on both teams and players across baseball.
After a nearly 30-year saga, the New York Islanders have officially found a new home. The NHL team kicked off their very first game at the state of the art UBS arena earlier this month, bringing fans together in Belmont Park, NY.
The over $1 billion dollar project comes as the city attempts to return to normalcy. Tom Naratil, President of the Americas at UBS and Jon Ledecky Co-Owner of the New York Islanders joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the new beginning.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant that are spooking markets once again. Twitter's @Jack is leaving, SCOTUS takes up abortion rights and the world has a brand new republic.