Brittney Griner

Security experts cautioned that the swap potentially sends a message that arresting and jailing Americans on trumped up charges could motivate foreign governments to continue the practice. But Texans who knew Griner as an athlete and student shared their joy over the news.

Griner was traded for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The swap did not include retired Marine Paul Whelan who remains imprisoned in Russia, on espionage charges the U.S. says are false.

The decision effectively sends Griner to serve out her nine-year term in a Russian prison colony, even as the U.S. and Russia appear set to reengage in talks for a possible prisoner swap.

President Biden has said Griner and Whelan are wrongfully detained in Russia. Griner, a WNBA star, was convicted of marijuana possession, and Whelan, an ex-Marine, was convicted of espionage.

The ruling came nearly six months after Griner was detained. Russia has indicated that any potential deal or prisoner swap to secure her release would have to wait until after a verdict in her case.

The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

The WNBA star took the stand in Russian court Wednesday to explain why she had vape cartridges in the first place, how they ended up in her luggage and what happened after they were discovered.

The WNBA star admitted to bringing cannabis into Russia but said she had packed in a hurry and did not intend to break the law. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.

President Biden has read the letter WNBA player Brittney Griner wrote to him from prison in Russia. The basketball star has been detained there since February.

The U.S. government has declared that the Houston native, who has been in Russian custody since February, was wrongfully detained.