"It brought me so much joy": Cherelle Griner says President Biden wrote back to Brittney Griner
Cherelle Griner, wife of detained Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, said President Joe Biden has written a letter back to Griner. Cherelle announced the news in a press conference Friday, thanking the Biden administration for continuing to work to bring her wife home.
"I was able to read the letter, and it brought me so much joy, as well as BG," Cherelle said Friday. "I believe every word that she said to him he understood. And he sees her as a person, and he has not forgotten her, which was her biggest cry in her letter."
Cherelle added she was grateful to the Biden administration for "exhausting all efforts" to bring the basketball player home. Cherelle said the Biden administration is the first her wife ever voted for.
The news comes following a handwritten note from Griner that was delivered to the White House on Monday. In it, the detained basketball star pleaded with the president to not forget her.
"I'm terrified I might be here forever," wrote Griner in the letter. "On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father, who is a Vietnam War veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year."
Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia since February, after officials claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. The basketball star played in Russia's women's basketball league during the WNBA off-season. She was ordered by a Russian judge to stay in custody throughout her trial. On Thursday, Griner plead guilty to drug possession and smuggling charges.
Griner's friends, family and WNBA teammates have continued to push for her release. In Friday's press conference, Reverend Al Sharpton called on Russian authorities to put Griner's well-being over national sentiments.
"She didn't see Russian fans any different than American fans," Sharpton said. "She saw all of them as fans that deserve the right to see women play basketball. She did that, and I hope that is what is considered, as we see what happens now that she's taken this stance."