Brittney Griner Reveals 'Rough' Moment At Olympics After Russia Experience

On Sunday, the final day of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and the USA women's national basketball team secured a gold medal after beating France 67-66.

The Paris Games marked the first time Griner played overseas since her imprisonment in Russia back in 2022. She spent nearly 300 days incarcerated and was released after the USA and Russia agreed on a prisoner swap, where the USA exchanged Viktor Bout for Griner.

In an interview with ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst, Griner opened up about her experience in Paris, admitting how much her newest gold medal means to her.

"My emotions are all over the place," Griner commented. "It means so much to me. My family didn't think I would be here like I've said before, and then to be here and win gold for my country, representing when my country fought for me so hard to even be standing here. Yeah, this gold medal is going to hold a special place."

Griner then went on to admit a "rough" experience she had in France, comparing it to her time in Russia.

"I had little moments here and there," Griner continued. "The first train ride was a little rough for me. Last time I was on a train overseas, it was a prison train, so that was a little rough. But other than that, my teammates have been all there for me and my family and my wife being here. So I had a really good support system."

This win was certainly an emotional one for Griner. When "The Star-Spangled Banner" started playing at the medal ceremony, Griner was full of emotion as tears could be seen streaming down her face.

In the gold medal game against France, Griner finished with four points and two rebounds in just five minutes of action. Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson led the way for Team USA with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks.

This marked the third Olympic gold medal Griner has won, including the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The USA women's team has now won eight straight Olympic golds, dating back to 1996. Griner's Mercury teammate, Diana Taurasi, has been involved in six of those wins.

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