Brittney Griner vowed to 'never' play overseas again — with one exception — but doesn't 'knock' other stars who choose to go
- Brittney Griner addressed the media for the first time since returning from Russian detainment.
- The WNBA superstar said she would "never" play overseas again unless she's competing for Team USA.
Brittney Griner will "never" play basketball overseas again.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist's lone exception to that rule, somewhat unsurprisingly, would be if she were ever asked to compete on behalf of Team USA again. But barring that possibility, Griner plans to stay stateside and avoid a repeat of her nightmarish detainment in Russia throughout the majority of 2022.
"I'm never going overseas to play again unless I'm representing my country at the Olympics," Griner said unequivocally.
"If I make that team, that would be the only time I would leave US soil," she added. "And that's just to represent the USA."
Griner, who spoke Thursday during her first press conference since returning to the US via a December prisoner exchange with Russia, was on her way to rejoin European powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg for her ninth season when she was arrested at a Moscow airport for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. She subsequently spent 10 months in detention, including some time in one of Russia's most notorious penal colonies.
Despite the apparent risks, the 6-foot-9 superstar made it clear Thursday that she understands why other WNBA players would continue competing abroad.
"The whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap, Griner said. "A lot of us go over there to make an income to support our families, to support ourselves. So I don't knock any player that wants to go overseas and make a little bit of extra money."
"It's a shame that we have to leave our families for holidays; I mean, you're missing everything being away," she added later. "But at the same time, as much as I'd love to pay my light bill for the love of the game, I can't. So I think that's probably one of the biggest reasons people are still go overseas. And that's why I was there."
Griner then expressed hope that the WNBA "continues to grow" so the league can afford to pay the higher salaries that would keep players home during future offseasons. That'll involve further investment in the league: from brands, media outlets, fans, and team owners.
"With as many people in here right now covering this, I hope you continue to cover our league, bring exposure to us," Griner said. "I hope a lot of these companies start to invest in our craft because, as you'll see this season if you haven't watched before, we have a really good craft in ourselves in the WNBA."
Check out her full comments below: