Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Get Standing Ovation During Surprise NAACP Image Awards Appearance

Leon Bennett/Getty for BET Cherelle Griner (left) and Brittney Griner (right) appear at the NAACP Image Awards

Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle made an appearance at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, following the WNBA star's December release from a Russian prison.

The couple walked out on stage at the annual event to a standing ovation — as stars like Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union, Tracee Ellis Ross, to name a few — celebrated them at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California.

"Thank you for that beautiful applause," Cherelle, 30, said after the standing ovation. "We are just truly so thankful to all the people — many of whom are Black women and Black-led organizations — who fought so hard to bring BG home tonight."

Brittney, 32, shared her own words as well, expressing that it felt "so good to be here, especially with my beautiful, amazing wife, and all of y'all here today."

"I want to thank everyone. And let's keep fighting to bring home every American still detained overseas," she added. "Thank you."

The couple's appearance came with an introduction from show host Queen Latifah, who said that Black people "stay overcoming because that's what we do."

"As we gather here tonight, In the spirit of overcoming adversity, I want to take this moment to recognize someone who has done just that," she added in her introduction.

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Brittney was released from a Russian jail in a prisoner swap back in December after spending nearly 10 months in custody.

After being sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on drug smuggling charges earlier last year, the basketball player was released in the one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, CBS News reported at the time, citing a U.S. official. Paul Whelan, another American who remains jailed in Russia, was not included in the swap.

Leon Bennett/Getty for BET Cherelle Griner (left) and Brittney Griner (right) appear at the NAACP Image Awards red carpet

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After Brittney's release, Cherelle opened up in December about the advocacy work that went into securing her wife's freedom, writing that her "heart was made whole thanks to the collective efforts of MANY," as she shared a collage of faces who helped her wife get back home.

In an Instagram post, Cherelle personally thanked more than 50 people by name — including Joy Reid, Gayle King, Robin Roberts, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Tamika Mallory and three congress people — for their work in getting Brittney back to the U.S.

"I'm humbled by their hearts," she wrote. "To care for another, a stranger to some, a friend to some— is humanity in its purest form! As BG and I start our journey to heal our minds, bodies, and spirits— I wanted to personally say thank you to some of the hands; seen and unseen, that helped make it possible for me to see my wife again!"

"I appreciate each and every one of you," Cherelle continued. "Let's continue to use our hands, voices, platforms, and resources to bring Paul [Whelan] and all Americans home. All families deserve to be whole! Love, Cherelle Griner ❤️🤍💙."

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Cherelle told PEOPLE in December that after returning to their shared home in Arizona, Brittney and her "just talked all night long and all morning" during their first night together. "And it was so good to be able to do it without three weeks in between the conversation, because for 10 months we were passing letters," she said. "It was great to have that dialogue back and forth."

"On one hand, I'm doing amazing," she later said. "My family's whole, I have my person, and so I feel the most supported and safe and secure as I've ever felt in life. But it's very overwhelming. We're plus-13 days in from BG being away for almost 10 months. So it's a new journey for us. And so we're definitely trying to figure out how we blend back as one."