For those who missed it, Brittney Griner returned to WNBA competition Friday night for the first time since 2021. She was detained in a Russian prison for a minor drug offense and missed all of last season.
While the Phoenix Mercury star scoring 10 points in a preseason game was not particularly notable, it’s what she did before the game that still has people buzzing two days later.
Griner and her teammates stood for the national anthem before the game, and she shared her strong emotions about the anthem afterward.
“Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different,” Griner told reporters. “It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up, and the anthem is playing, it just hits different.”
That sentiment is a 180-degree departure from Griner’s past comments on the anthem. She has skipped the anthem before games, and said in 2020 that, “I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season.” That came at the height of protests over George Floyd’s death.
Griner had earned the condemnation of many conservatives for taking that stance. Her change of heart now has earned the respect of many of those people.
I applaud #BrittneyGriner Your detainment apparently gave you plenty of time to think about the beauties of #America https://t.co/5F4uVcUR3t
— Sebastian Frost (@SebastianFrosty) May 14, 2023
As any veteran who served will tell you, the National Anthem hits your heart strings, all the more so after having been in harm’s way …
Brittney Griner plays in first game since detainment, says hearing national anthem ‘definitely hit different’https://t.co/GPItv1wSjF
— davd soul (@davdsoul) May 14, 2023
Look, America, as spelled out above, is far from perfect. But it’s still the best and freest country by a mile.
It’s sad that it took 10 months in a gulag for Griner to realize that — but at least it appears she finally has realized it.https://t.co/xpQI7940si— AmericanBYbirth (@ybirth_b) May 14, 2023
Nothing makes you appreciate America… warts and all… more than traveling overseas. This young lady thought she was facing injustice at home. Turns out… she didn’t know how good she had it.https://t.co/Sd4YGMoQoG
— Wildomar999 (@Wildomar9991) May 13, 2023
It should not take being sentenced to hard labor in a Russian penal colony to make you appreciate how good America is, but I am very happy for her to come to this realization. I hope her new perspective continues to grow and gives her peace. https://t.co/5J1Iwnpb78 #FoxNews
— Brock Friedman (@FriedmanBrock) May 13, 2023