A huge specter loomed over the 2022 WNBA season after Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia seemed to have no resolution in sight. Griner is not only one of the most decorated players in the WNBA, she is also universally beloved among the basketball community. Thus, Griner's detainment and later conviction became tough to bear for her colleagues, especially when she was in Russia to ply her trade during the offseason to make significantly more money.

Thankfully, good news greeted the WNBA community on Thursday morning.

It was announced that Brittney Griner has finally been freed from her imprisonment after the U.S. government agreed on a prisoner swap. And WNBA superstars, including two-time MVP A'ja Wilson and 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart, felt nothing but relief and joy now that something they've long hoped, prayed, and lobbied for has finally come to fruition.

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Brittney Griner, a proud member of the LGBT+ community, has fully embraced the person she is, which further endeared her to other WNBA players. In particular, Kelsey Plum, star of the Las Vegas Aces, is extremely fond of Griner, and dedicated the 2022 WNBA All-Star MVP award to her good friend all the while everybody who participated in that game wore the Phoenix Mercury star's number to honor her amid her difficult circumstances.

Many WNBA players expressed that Griner's detention was unjust, and that she was just being used as a negotiating chip amid the rising tensions between Russia and the United States. Nevertheless, that is in the past now. Brittney Griner is coming home greeted by the love of her peers and her family, as she starts the road to recovery from what was surely a harrowing experience.