Brittney Griner Shares She Feared Someone Was Going To 'Shoot The Plane Down' After Russian Prison Release

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In the build-up to the release of her new book ‘Coming Home,’ Brittney Griner has made the media rounds detailing her lengthy stint in a Russian prison following her arrest in 2022. During a recent interview, the WNBA star not only explained the moments leading up to her prison release, but her fear that someone was going to shoot down the plane that was returning her to U.S. soil.

Griner sat down with Megan Rapinoe - the former U.S. soccer star turned anti-woman spokesperson - for an interview with The Cut and recalled the moment she was told she would be leaving the Russian prison.

"I got a note underneath my door that said, ‘Be ready at midnight,’ or some late, crazy hour," she said. "I didn’t even go to sleep. I packed up all my stuff. I slept with my shoes on, and then I finally got to process out. I had put on real clothes, that’s when I knew."

While Griner was understandably excited to be leaving the facility, she was still on high alert even when walking on the plane.

"We get to that airport, and I get on that plane. I was worried someone might shoot the plane down. It wouldn’t be the first time. I knew I wouldn’t feel safe until wheels are on U.S. soil," Griner added.

Brittney Griner Shares She Thought About Killing Herself While In Russian Jail

 (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Griner was arrested on drug charges in February 2022, pleaded guilty to said charges in July and was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison. Federal Security Service claimed she was carrying vape cartridges containing hash oil, an illegal substance in Russia, when she arrived in Moscow. 

Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges on July 7. When pleading guilty, she explained she "packed in a hurry." She was eventually released via prisoner swap in exchange for one of the most dangerous men alive, a guy whose nickname is ‘The Merchant of Death,’ in December 2022.

Griner opened up about having thoughts of taking her own life during the first few weeks in custody.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.