Brittney Griner spent nearly 300 days after being detained in Russia in February 2022 for having cannabis oil in her luggage. As a result, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison.
In an interview with ABC's "20/20," Griner stated she considered suicide while she was detained.
"I wanted to take my life more than once in those first weeks," Griner said. "I felt like leaving here so badly.
"I just didn't think I could get through what I needed to get through. I definitely thought about it. But then, I was just like, 'What if they didn't release my body to my family?' I can't put them through that. I have to endure this."
Griner also spoke about the conditions she was forced to live in while she was in prison. The former Baylor star said she experienced dirty prison cells, blood stains on her mattress, no soap and a lack of toilet paper.
The U.S. State Department ultimately negotiated a prisoner swap in December 2022 involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner.
Russian prosecutors believed Griner attempted to smuggle less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage, which was located in vape cartridges. At the time, the Phoenix Mercury star was playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg while the WNBA was in the midst of its offseason.
Griner is set to begin her 11th WNBA season after returning to the league last spring. During the 2023 season, Griner averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 31 games.
The Mercury forward is also expected to play for the United States national team in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
