Brittney Griner Tells Fans To Send Letters To Paul Whelan

It seems as though recently released WNBA player Brittney Griner is looking to pay it forward now that she's back stateside.

Griner was brought home from Russia earlier this month after spending months in custody on drug charges. Of course, doing so meant that the Biden administration had to give up arms dealer Viktor "The Merchant of Death" Bout.

...Oh yeah, and they failed to show some backbone and get ex-Marine Paul Whelan as part of the deal.

Griner has already talked about how she plans to make it her mission to bring Whelan back home. To her credit, she is already using her elevated platform to draw attention to his case.

Griner hopped on Instagram to give thanks to those who supported her while she was detained in Russia.

The Phoenix Mercury center said that the letters she received while in Russia helped her keep her spirits high.

"Your letters were also bigger than uplifting me. They showed me the power of collective hands. Together, we can do hard things. I'm proof of that. My family is whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together," she wrote. "However, there remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained."

Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 and charged with espionage. He has been in Russian custody ever since. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Griner Asks For Letters To Free Whelan

While Griner's 10-month stint in the Russian penal system doesn't sound like a walk in the park, tell that to Whelan who has been held on espionage charges for four years.

Griner asked those who that she wants those who wrote her letters to bust out their stationary once again.

This time to support Whelan.

"Those families stood alongside you and all who supported the WeAreBG campaign to bring me home and it's our turn to support them. I hope you'll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families."

Griner's return to the states has been mixed. While the consensus is it's great to have brought a US citizen home, the cost to do it was immense.

Additionally, Griner hasn't exactly received the ticker tape parade that some thought she would upon her return.

A homecoming celebration in Waco, Texas — home of her alma mater Baylor University — drew just 20 people.

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