Brittney Griner

During her first press conference since being detained in Russia, the Phoenix Mercury star told reporters the only thing that'd take her off U.S. soil is an invitation to compete in the Olympics.

In her first public statement since being freed from Russia, the two-time Olympic gold medalist says she'll play for her team, the Phoenix Mercury, when the season starts in May.

Now that Brittney Griner has been released from Russian prison, will the WNBA reconsider how much it pays its players?

American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange following nearly 10 months in detention in Russia.

Griner was traded for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Early Friday morning, her plane landed at Joint Base San Antonio Kelly Field. She was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for a medical evaluation and to be reunited with her wife Cherelle.

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.

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.