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Brittney breaks the cover! WNBA star Griner enjoys the MLK Jr parade in Phoenix, one month after being released from the Russian penal camp thanks to the prisoner exchange.
- Less than six weeks after her release from a Russian prison, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner surprised a group of people at an MLK march in Phoenix.
- He appeared at the event with his wife, Cherelle, and took photos with excited fans.
- Griner was arrested for carrying marijuana vape cartridges through an airport in Russia in February 2021.
- She spent more than ten months in a Russian penal colony before being released.
- Arizona, the state where the event took place, was the last state to recognize the MLK holiday in 1992, after it became a federal holiday in 1983.
Phoenix Mercury superstar Brittney Griner has made a surprise appearance at an MLK Day march in Phoenix, just six weeks after being released from a Russian prison.
He attended the event with his wife, Cherelle, and happily posed for photos with excited fans.
Griner has a special connection to Arizona, having played her entire WNBA career with the Mercury after a successful college career at Baylor University in Texas.
The march was held on what would have been the 94th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Arizona was the last state to recognize MLK Jr. Day in 1992, after President Ronald Reagan declared it a federal holiday in 1983, although it was first observed in 1986.
Less than six weeks after her release from a Russian prison, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner surprised a group of people at an MLK march in Phoenix.
Griner surprised a group of people gathered for an MLK day march in Phoenix
Griner returned to the United States looking different, having been forced to cut off her dreadlocks due to the extremely cold temperatures in Russia.
Griner missed the 2021-22 WNBA season after being arrested in Russia for bringing marijuana vape cartridges through an airport in February.
She spent more than ten months in a Russian penal colony and was released in a prisoner exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Following Griner’s arrest at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, he pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s court system does not automatically end a case.
He acknowledged in court that he possessed cans of cannabis oil, but said he had no criminal intent and that he accidentally packed them. His defense team submitted written statements that he had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.
After her release, Griner wrote on Instagram: ‘It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle in every way. I searched deeply to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that kept me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your help.’
Griner is shown August 4 after pleading guilty in Russia. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and sent to a penal colony.
Fans of the basketball star seemed happy to be with her as they posed next to her on Monday.
Many fans got a chance to pose with the Phoenix Mercury star on Monday
His wife, Cherelle Griner, posted a selection of photos of her and Brittany at the show on Monday.
On December 9, after nearly 10 months in custody, Griner was traded in a prison swap (pictured left in red) for Viktor Bout.
Griner returned to the United States with a different appearance, having been forced to cut her dreadlocks due to the extremely cold temperatures in Russia. Since her release, she has kept a low profile.
Griner’s case drew attention to issues of inequality and injustice, something Dr. King fought against throughout his life.
His presence at the MLK Day march was seen as a powerful and symbolic reminder of the ongoing fight for equality.
Griner seemed to be in good spirits when he jumped out of the plane to freedom last month.
Cherelle Griner, 30, held his wife, 32, close after she stepped off the plane in San Antonio after 294 days apart.
‘I was just holding on tight. She couldn’t let her go,” said Cherelle (left) talking about the time apart from her. Brittney (right) was arrested on February 17 after she was pulled over for carrying a vaporizer containing hashish oil. She was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.