WNBA All-Star and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner is set to release a memoir detailing her experience of being detained in Russia. Titled “Coming Home,” the book is scheduled for release in spring 2024.
Griner's memoir will provide a more detailed account of her her time in Russian imprisonment.
“‘Coming Home' is a story of hope and survival, of before and after. Before, on my way to Russia, a place I’ve called my second home, I was excited to win another title. For eight seasons I played there, won there, and lived there for long stretches. A short time later and a world away, I woke up in an after I’d wish on no one,” Griner stated in an Instagram post announcing the book. “‘Coming Home' begins in a land where my roots developed and is the diary of my heartaches and regrets. But, ultimately, the book is also a story of how my family, my faith, and the support of millions who rallied for my rescue helped me endure a nightmare.”
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The basketball star's detention began on Feb. 17, 2022, at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, where she was held for possession of cannabis oil. Following a guilty plea in July 2022, Griner faced a nine-year prison sentence in a Russian women’s penal colony.
Her book will explore the challenges she endured, from the complexities of the Russian legal system to her time in captivity. The memoir will also cover the broader context of Brittney Griner's detention, occurring soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Central to her story is the support of her wife, Cherelle Griner, and the global #WeAreBG movement, which played a significant role in her eventual release. Griner returned to the U.S. in December 2022 following a high-profile prisoner exchange involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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