Phoenix Mercury basketball star Brittney Griner expressed her hopes that she wouldn’t be the sole American released from a Russian prison in 2022.
Griner, who was arrested in February and freed in December through a prisoner exchange, shared in an interview preview with Robin Roberts on ABC’s 20/20 that she had wished Paul Whelan would also be on the plane with her.
Whelan, detained in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020, was someone Griner had hoped would be freed alongside her.
Disappointed when she didn’t see him boarding, Griner wondered if Whelan might be next or if the authorities would let him come home.
During the swap, Griner was exchanged for Viktor Bout, known as ‘the Merchant of Death’ for his arms dealings.
Griner expressed that the U.S. government should have made greater efforts to secure the release of both herself and Whelan.
Griner emphasized the importance of bringing Americans back home, stressing that no one should be left behind.
She mentioned that if given the choice, she would have personally brought Whelan home alongside her, emphasizing that the return of any American is a victory for all.
