Brittney Griner cherishes 3rd gold in aftermath of Russia arrest

PARIS -- When the American flag rose to the ceiling and "The Star-Spangled Banner" started playing at Bercy Arena on Sunday, Brittney Griner 's eyes filled with tears.

The 67-66 victory over France marked Griner's third gold medal ceremony, as she was also a part of Team USA's victories in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. But this time hit her differently after she went through the ordeal of being imprisoned in Russia in 2022.

"My emotions are all over the place," Griner said. "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 and 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 was freed via a prisoner exchange in December 2022 after 10 months of captivity. Her time this summer in England, where the U.S. played an exhibition game, and nearly three weeks in France marked her first trip overseas since her release.

"I had little moments here and there," Griner said. "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."

Griner had four points and two rebounds in the victory over France.