In July of 2020, professional basketball player Britteny Griner set off a firestorm when she called on WNBA officials to stop playing the national anthem before each game.
But Griner is singing a different tune after spending almost a year in a Russian prison.
And WNBA star Britteny Griner just said five words about the national anthem that caught everyone by surprise.
In February of 2022, WNBA star Britteny Griner was arrested in Russia after authorities discovered a cannabis vape cartridge during an airport luggage check.
Griner was one of the many WNBA players who play in foreign leagues during the offseason as a way to get extra practice and earn more money.
But Griner was found guilty in a Russian court and sentenced to ten years of hard prison labor.
However, Joe Biden cut a deal with Russia to swap Griner for Russian arms dealer Viktor “the Merchant of Death” Bout.
And in December of 2022, Griner returned home safely to the United States.
But Griner apparently returned home with a different attitude and a newfound appreciation of America.
Griner previously led the efforts to cancel the national anthem before WNBA games.
“I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season,” she previously said. “I think we should take that much of a stand.”
But on Friday, Griner played her first game since spending time in a Russian prison.
And for the first time in several years, Griner stood for the pre-game national anthem.
She explained her change of heart in an interview with Fox News.
“You have the right to protest, the right to be able to speak out, question, challenge, and do all these things,” Griner said. “What I went through and everything, it just means a little bit more to me now,” she continued, before adding, “so I want to be able to stand.”
“I was literally in a cage [in Russia] and could not stand the way I wanted to,” she added.
Griner admitted she was now grateful to be an American citizen.
“I appreciate everything a little bit more, all of the small moments, like, ‘Oh, I’m so tired I don’t want to go to practice today,’ that has changed, honestly,” she said. “Tomorrow is not guaranteed, you don’t know what it’s going to look like.”
The WNBA star said she still stood behind those who still refuse to stand for the Anthem because “that’s our right, as an American in this great country.”
Brittany Griner went from hating the United States to outright declaring it a “great country.”
