Brittney Griner picked up a basketball for the first time in nearly 10 months on Sunday. Her first move? A dunk.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told ESPN on Sunday that Griner remains at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and has not made plans to leave.
The Phoenix Mercury star is staying in a hotel on the base with her wife Cherelle. Griner’s father and some other family members visited her Saturday, and the family enjoyed a meal together from a local barbecue restaurant.
As the 32-year-old reacclimates to the United States after her 294-day detainment in Russia, she has not said whether she plans to return to the WNBA.
“If she wants to play, it will be for her to share. She has the holidays to rest and decide what’s next without any pressure,” Colas told ESPN. “She’s doing really, really well. She seems to have endured this in pretty incredible ways.”
While she was imprisoned in Russia, Griner did not accept her lawyers’ offer to bring her a basketball. At the time, she said she wasn’t ready to think about playing. Colas said Sunday that she wasn’t sure whether the workout meant Griner was taking steps toward a return.
When Griner does leave Fort Sam Houston, she will head to a private, secure location. From there, it’s up to the basketball star to decide what she wants to do.
“There’s no timeline on her return at this point. She’s reintegrating into a world that has changed for her now,” Colas said. “From a pure security standpoint she’s not going to be able to move in the world the way she did. It’s not a fate that she asked for, but I think she’s going to try to utilize her fame for good.”
The agent added that Griner will work to help raise attention for other Americans who are considered wrongfully detained in other countries — particularly Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia for four years on espionage charges.
