"Just a blessing": Minnesota pro female athletes overjoyed with Brittney Griner's release
MINNEAPOLIS – Many are giving a sigh of relief Thursday, as President Joe Biden announced WNBA star Brittney Griner's safe return to the United States.
"The news that we heard today of her being released is just a blessing," Minnesota native and former WNBA player Tayler Hill said.
In the sports world particularly, Griner's situation hits close to home.
"I went overseas to Israel, and I was in Hungary," Hill said.
It's a choice many professional female athletes make. Jennie Clark spent five years in Germany playing soccer. Griner's reality is hard for her to imagine.
"I can't imagine being an athlete in a different country and having something like that happen to me, and not really understanding what the legal process is in another country," Clark said.
She said her experience abroad was incredible, but while there are perks of playing overseas, it's not always the top choice for athletes.
"The percentage of men that are able to continue playing within their same country is a lot higher than the amount of women that are able to play in their same country," Clark said.
Hill said during her time abroad, she found her community. But if there was a more feasible option – she might not have made the choice to play year-round.
"For us, it was a money thing first," Hill said. "If we could not play all year round, I'm sure most of us would love not be able to put all those miles on our body."
It's causing some in the professional women's arena to push for change. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the WNBA is working to promote more opportunities for athletes at home – and making sure athletes are aware of them.
"We have to build an economic model," Engelbert said. "We're only 26 years young. We're not 75 or 100 or 110, like some of the men's leagues. And so we're working on that."
