US basketball star Brittney Griner has been freed from prison in Russia as part of a high-level prisoner swap for the notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been held in an American prison for 12 years.

President Joe Biden said Griner was on a plane home from the United Arab Emirates.

“I’m glad to say Brittney’s in good spirits… she needs time and space to recover,” he said at the White House.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil. She was sent to a penal colony last month.

Last July, the prisoner swap was proposed by the Biden administration.

Russia’s foreign ministry confirmed the swap, which took place in Abu Dhabi. “The Russian citizen has been returned to his homeland,” it said in a statement.

Who is Brittney Yevette Griner?

Brittney Yevette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association.

She was arrested by Russian officials after they allegedly found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in the 31-year-old’s luggage.

Griner played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. She is the only NCAA basketball player to both score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.

Also Read | WNBA star Brittney Griner’s drug-related detention in Russia extended

In 2012, the three-time All-American was named the AP Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She was named the nation’s No. 1 high school women’s basketball player by Rivals.com in 2009.

In 2012, she received the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. In 2013, Griner signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

“We can’t get into specifics, but it’s safe to say we jumped at the opportunity to work with her because she breaks the mold,” Nike spokesman Brian Strong said of signing Griner at the time.

Griner was on the United States women’s Olympic team in 2016, and led them to victory at the Rio Olympics.

Also Read | Phoenix Mercury to open WNBA season with Brittney Griner detained in Russia

In 2021, Griner was named to the United States women’s national team for the 2020 Olympics, where she won her second gold medal.

Griner is one of 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA championship, a FIBA World Cup gold medal and a WNBA championship.

Griner is the daughter of Sandra Griner. She has three older siblings.