The release of former WNBA and Baylor Bears star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison Thursday has elicited cheers from some lawmakers and former coaches of the Houston native.
But her release is also spurring discussions on whether Vladimir Putin鈥檚 regime might have gotten one over on the Biden administration.
Griner was convicted on drug charges after Russian airport officials found vape cartridges and cannabis oil in her baggage in February. She was released after the Biden administration negotiated a prisoner exchange that guaranteed accused Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout would return to his home country.
"She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable conditions," Biden said from the Roosevelt Room, NPR reported.
Adam Kline, director of UT Austin's Robert Strauss Center on International Security and Law, said the deal with Putin will be seen by Russian leaders as a 鈥渃oup.鈥�
A close friend of Putin, Bout was convicted in an American court of conspiring to kill Americans and providing support to terrorist organizations. Bout鈥檚 original sentence would have kept him in jail until 2029.
鈥淚n their extremely cynical and transactional way, the Russians will have to view this as a coup, having taken a prominent American as effectively a hostage,鈥� Kline told the Texas Standard. 鈥淭hey've secured the release of someone who's known to be connected to their intelligence services, which for them, those are their brethren as they see it in their cynical way. And they鈥檝e managed to bring him home.鈥�
Kline also 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.
鈥淥ur adversaries know that this works. And however happy we should be to see an American released, we have to also recognize that this will confirm for them that this gets results, and that creates a huge incentive to grab Americans who they think will attract sympathy,鈥� he said.
As discussion over the politics surrounding the prisoner exchange and what, if any, repercussions will follow played out, Texans who knew Griner as an athlete and student shared their joy over the news.
鈥淚 went from a groggy, sleepy head to an instantaneous, wide-awake joyous person,鈥� said Debbie Jackson, Griner鈥檚 former coach at Nimitz High School. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the best news. I am just so excited for Brittney and her family and her wife. It鈥檚 just wonderful.
鈥淚 am an optimistic person by nature, and I never lost hope,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏ut that nine-year sentence and that day she was actually transported to the penal colony, were kind of low points in this ordeal.鈥�
At Baylor University, where Griner stared for the Lady Bears from 2009 to 2013, officials said the alumna鈥檚 return to the United States was long overdue.
鈥淏rittney Griner is a member of our Baylor Family, and we are extremely grateful that she is on her way back home to the United States. We praise God this day has finally come,鈥� said Mack Rhoades, the school鈥檚 vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, and Linda Livingston, the university president said in a joint statement. 鈥淥ur hearts go out to Brittney and her family as they have endured months of separation, and we continue to pray as she recovers from this incredibly challenging time.鈥�
Head coach Nikki Collen added: 鈥淎fter nearly ten months, we are thrilled and relieved to hear the long-awaited news of BG鈥檚 return,鈥� she said. 鈥淏aylor family, she's coming home!鈥�
State lawmakers were also quick to weigh in, with some praising the move and others criticizing the Biden administration鈥檚 negotiations.
鈥淏rittney Griner free at last!! Welcome back Brittney, there鈥檚 no place like home for the holidays,鈥� Congressman Al Green, a Democrat from Houston, said in a .
Brittney Griner free at last!!
— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen)
Welcome back Brittney, there鈥檚 no place like home for the holidays.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, also a Houston Democrats, said: 鈥淭oday is a great day to celebrate. Brittney Griner is free. She is a spouse, daughter, teammate and friend and to all of us she is also a fellow American who was held against her will, denied due process in a Russian court and sentenced to a labor camp.鈥�
Jackson Lee also acknowledged that former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan 鈥� who remains imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges and wasn鈥檛 part of the deal 鈥� should be set free.
鈥淭hanks to President Biden who made an extremely difficult decision to allow a prisoner exchange. I join with Paul Whalen and his family in continuing to seek his release,鈥� she said.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also praised Griner鈥檚 return and urged the administration to secure Whelan鈥檚 release.
鈥淚'm glad to hear the Biden Administration has secured the release of Houston-native Brittney Griner, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly 10 months. I am eager for her to be safely reunited with her family on American soil,鈥� he said in a tweet.
He added: 鈥淚 am disappointed the Biden Admin failed to secure the release of additional U.S. citizens in the exchange. They must continue to press for the release of all Americans unjustly detained by our adversaries, including United States Marine Corps veterans Paul Whelan & Austin Tice.鈥�
Tice is a former U.S. Marine and freelance journalist believed to have .
The Biden administration said it was still fighting for Whelan鈥檚 release but that Russia didn鈥檛 see Griner and Whelan in the same light.
鈥淪adly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul鈥檚 case differently than Brittney鈥檚,鈥� Biden said Thursday morning. 鈥淎nd while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul鈥檚 release, we are not giving up. We will never give up.鈥�
Jackson Lee also said she was hopeful for Whelan鈥檚 return, Houston Public Media reported.
鈥淚'm disappointed for Paul's family and how crushing this must be for them,鈥� she said. 鈥淣egotiations like this sometimes nothing occurs [and] sometimes you can do something. So I'm just thankful for that this happened and once again, praying for the release of all our wrongfully detained citizens.鈥�
Baylor officials added in their statement they were also hoping for a similar victory for Whelan and his family.
鈥淲hile we celebrate Brittney鈥檚 release, our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to fellow American Paul Whelan and his family, as well as all Americans unjustly imprisoned overseas 鈥� that they will be freed and can return home safely and promptly,鈥� Rhoades and Livingston said.
