Brittney Griner Will Release a 'Raw, Emotional' Memoir in 2024 Detailing Her 10 Months in Russia
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Griner said the day she was arrested was "the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life" that she has only recently felt ready to share
Brittney Griner will tell her "raw, emotional" story in a new memoir, publishing company Alfred A. Knopf announced on Tuesday.
Griner, 32, will detail the "tumultuous events of 2022 that both reshaped her life and captured the world's attention" when she was arrested at an airport near Moscow in Feb. 2022, according to a press release for the project.
The WNBA star will recount her ten-month detainment in Russia for the first time in the currently-untitled book, scheduled for a spring 2024 release.
The book will include previously-unheard details about Griner's "stark" living conditions and the "terrifying aspects" of day-to-day life in a foreign prison.
The release promises that Griner's "intimate and moving" memoir will explore how the global #WeAreBG movement supported her during her detainment and why she was even playing in Russia to begin with — pay inequity.
In a statement, Griner said the day she was arrested was "the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life" that she has only recently felt ready to share.
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She continued: "Readers will hear my story and understand why I'm so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world. By writing this book, I also hope to raise awareness surrounding other Americans wrongfully detained abroad such as Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Emad Shargi, Airan Berry, Shahab Dalili, Luke Denman, Eyvin Hernandez, Majd Kamalmaz, Jerrel Kenemore, Kai Li, Siamak Namazi, Austin Tice, Mark Swidan and Morad Tahbaz."
The 2024 memoir will be Griner's second with the publishing house. She released her first book, In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court, in 2015.
Following Griner's release in December via an exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, the athlete and her wife Cherelle have begun advocating for the release of other wrongfully detained Americans.
Most recently, she spoke out in support of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovitch, who was been arrested for alleged spying in Russia. The U.S. has designated him as "wrongfully detained."
"Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovitch and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia," the Griners wrote on Instagram.
"We must do everything in our power to bring him and all Americans home. We are grateful for President Biden and his administration's deep commitment to rescue Americans. We celebrate their recent successful efforts to bring home Jeff Woodke and Paul Rusesabagina," the couple continued. "Every American who is taken is ours to fight for and every American returned is a win for us all."
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Griner spent nearly ten months in a Russian prison after being detained for allegedly smuggling "narcotic drugs" into the country in February 2022. She returned to the U.S. on Dec. 9 and has rejoined the Phoenix Mercury under a one-year, $165,100 contract, per ESPN.
At the close of the 2021 season, she averaged 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in her career. She also voiced her intention to return to the team in her first statement after her release.
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