Warriors' Curry, Coach Kerr drop by WH briefing
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and coach Steve Kerr made a surprise appearance at the White House briefing Tuesday before celebrating their 2022 championship. Curry thanked President Joe Biden for getting WMBA star Brittney Griner home. (Jan. 17)
news.yahoo.comSteph Curry thanks President Biden for bringing Brittney Griner home during Warriors' White House visit
And Curry took a few moments to reflect on the past seven years as well as thank President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their role in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Curry and the Warriors were among the many players and NBA teams who outwardly supported the release of Griner throughout the duration of her 10-month imprisonment in Russia. While the Warriors returned to the White House, it might be harder to return to the NBA Finals in 2023. The Warriors have also endured a couple of in-house issues, particularly when it came to an offseason altercation between Green and Poole. But for now, the Warriors will celebrate their fourth ring in eight seasons as the team makes a push for a fifth.
wftv.comViktor Bout, the convicted arms dealer the US swapped with Russia for Brittney Griner, was nicknamed 'The Merchant of Death' and inspired a Nic Cage movie
Viktor Bout, who the Biden admin traded in a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner, jumped into far-right politics upon getting home to Russia.
news.yahoo.comRussia releases US Navy veteran who crossed border
WASHINGTON — (AP) — Russia has released a U.S. Navy veteran who apparently illegally crossed the border from Poland into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad last year and was held there for nine months. Bill Richardson announced that Taylor Dudley had been handed over to U.S. custody in Poland on Thursday. The State Department had no immediate substantive comment but said it was aware of “reports” that an American citizen had been deported from Russia. The department said it was constrained in what it could say about the case due to privacy concerns. A spokesman for his family said Dudley had traveled to Europe to backpack, had gone to Poland for a music festival and at some point crossed into Kaliningrad and was detained in April, 2022.
wftv.comRussia’s ‘Merchant of Death’ Chickens Out of Fight During Live Broadcast
Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty ImagesAfter being freed in a prisoner swap for US basketball star Brittney Griner, arms dealer Viktor Bout is making rounds on Russian propaganda networks, but he is already changing his tune.During an interview last month with convicted Russian agent Maria Butina for the state media outlet RT, Bout proclaimed his wholehearted support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said he would certainly sign up as a volunteer, if he had the opportunity and necessary s
news.yahoo.comSports 2022: Power and money, money and power
He’s in his early 50s, he’s absurdly wealthy, and he plays golf, the most conservative and establishment sport imaginable. Money has always fueled sports, but 2022 swept away any last pretense that sports were anything more than a for-profit enterprise. The Los Angeles Rams saw their all-in gamble pay off as they won a dramatic Super Bowl in their own stadium. The world’s two marquee athletic events — the Olympics and the World Cup — dropped any shred of pretending to be about anything other than money, power and prestige. Griner’s story may be the most memorable sports-related event of 2022, but the feelings from the year will linger, too.
wftv.comUS marks anniversary of Paul Whelan's detention in Russia
WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Biden administration is marking the four-year anniversary of the detention in Russia of American businessman Paul Whelan, whose continued imprisonment is one of several major irritants in tattered relations between Washington and Moscow. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday that securing Whelan's release remains a top administration priority. The administration considers Whelan, like Griner, to have been wrongfully detained. “His detention remains unacceptable, and we continue to press for his immediate release at every opportunity,” Blinken said. U.S. officials said Russia refused to consider including Whelan in the Griner deal, calling it a “one or none” decision.
wftv.comTop sports stories of 2022: Amazon and the NFL, Djokovic and COVID, Lionel Messi and the World Cup
Throughout 2022, sports were another front in the cultural battles erupting across America and the world. Amazon became the first streaming provider to nab an exclusive, weekly NFL game . College Football's revolution: No sport saw as much upheaval in 2022 as college football, from every angle . After initially banning Djokovic for three years, Australian officials relented and allowed Djokovic to enter the country next month for the 2023 Open. Many of the accusers would end up settling with Watson, who served out an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season.
wftv.com‘Because of you I never lost hope’: Brittney Griner pens heartfelt letter to fans
>> Read more trending newsIn the letter, posted to Griner’s Instagram account, Griner offered her thanks to those who fought for months for her to be released from Russian custody. “Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months. After months of negotiations, President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a prisoner exchange of Brittany Griner for convicted firearms dealer Viktor Bout, The Associated Press reported. The prisoner exchange did not include former marine Paul Whelan, who has been held in Russia since 2018. In her letter, Griner encouraged her fans to support Whelan, saying, “My family’s whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together.
wftv.comBrittney Griner thanks fans for support, urges them to advocate for release of Paul Whelan, other Americans
Now that she's back in the United States, Griner is urging fans to continue to push for the release of Paul Whelan and other Americans who are wrongfully detained. Griner also urged fans to write to Whelan and to continue to fight for the release of other Americans. The United States attempted to include Whalen, a retired marine currently detained in Russia on espionage charges, in offers with Griner. In July, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the United States sent offers to Russia that involved both Griner and Whalen. After her release, Griner hopes to keep the focus on getting Whalen home.
wftv.comWith Brittney Griner vowing to play in WNBA in 2023, here's what the Phoenix Mercury roster could be
As the WNBA Players Association said in a statement last week, "our 144 is complete." It was a stacked squad that featured two MVPs (Charles, Taurasi), three No. 1 draft picks (Taurasi, Charles, Diggins-Smith), five 2021 Olympians and nine single-season scoring champions (Taurasi 5, Griner 2, Charles 2). Looking into 2023The three largest roster questions for the Mercury are around their “big three” of Griner, Taurasi and Diggins-Smith. The WNBA season will tip off on May 19.
wftv.comBrittney Griner says, ‘It feels so good to be home’ after release from Russian prison
In her first public comments since being released last week from a Russian prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner thanked friends, family, officials and the public for helping to bring her back to the U.S.>> Read more trending news“It feels so good to be home!” she wrote in a social media post. Griner returned to the U.S. on Dec. 9, after months of detention in Russia. The release was part of a prisoner swap with Moscow that saw Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout returned to the country. The prisoner swap was the second between the U.S. and Russia to take place under Biden, following the release in April of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed. Reed had been convicted two years earlier of assaulting two Russian police officers and was sentenced to nine years in a prison camp.
wftv.comBrittney Griner says she’ll play basketball again
Brittney Griner said she’s “grateful” to be back in the United States and plans on playing basketball again next season for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Her comments came a week after she was released from a Russian prison, freed in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange. Griner posted to Instagram on Friday in her first public statement since her release. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. Griner has been staying in a hotel at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio since her return.
wftv.comBrittney Griner releases first statement since return from Russia, intends to return to Phoenix Mercury this season
Brittney Griner shed light on her time in Russia with an Instagram statement on Friday. After being released from Russian prison, the WNBA star was medically evaluated at San Antonio Fort Sam Houston Base. "I appreciate the time and care to make sure I was okay and equipped with the tools for this new journey," Griner wrote. The U.S. swapped the WNBA star for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8. The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn," Griner wrote.
wftv.comBrittney Griner prisoner swap AP Sports Story of the Year
The return of Brittney Griner to the United States in a dramatic prisoner swap with Russia marked the culmination of a 10-month ordeal that captivated world attention, a saga that landed at the intersection of sports, politics, race and gender identity — and wartime diplomacy. Griner had for years been known to fans of women's basketball — college player of the year, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA all-star who dominated her sport. From there, attention turned to the possibility of a prisoner swap, especially after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's announcement of a "substantial proposal." Her wife, Cherelle, and her agent met with Biden at the White House as other officials worked behind-the-scenes on the case. No longer just a generational women's basketball player, Griner is standing at a much larger crossroads.
wftv.comBrittney Griner prisoner swap AP Sports Story of the Year
The return of Brittney Griner to the United States in a dramatic prisoner swap with Russia marked the culmination of a 10-month ordeal that captivated world attention, a saga that landed at the intersection of sports, politics, race and gender identity — and wartime diplomacy.
Biden mocks Trump’s ‘major announcement’ of digital trading cards
President Biden on Thursday mocked former President Trump for teasing a “major announcement” that turned out to be a new line of digital Trump trading cards. “I had some MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS the last couple of weeks, too…” Biden tweeted from his personal account. The president listed a consumer price report that showed inflation easing in…
news.yahoo.comLynx forward Napheesa Collier won't play abroad anymore after Brittney Griner's Russian detention
The Minnesota Lynx forward said on CNN on Monday that, after watching fellow WNBA star Brittney Griner's 10-month long detention in Russia , that she won't play in international leagues anymore during the WNBA offseason. "@PHEEsespieces says she won't travel again for the WNBA after Brittney Griner's detention pic.twitter.com/ymLiBt3xcI — CNN This Morning (@CNNThisMorning) December 12, 2022"It's really scary. She spent 2021 playing for Lattes Montpellier in France’s league. Griner is now back in the United States, though her future basketball plans are still unknown . Like Collier mentioned, there is a lot of money for WNBA players to play in leagues outside of the United States.
wftv.comRussian arms dealer Viktor Bout speaks out after Brittney Griner swap
Sitting in a Moscow studio as snow fell outside, looking relaxed in a blue blazer and maroon T-shirt, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout described his 14 years in a U.S. prison in his first interview since he was exchanged for Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who had been held in a Russian prison colony following a drug conviction earlier this year.
news.yahoo.comRussian arms dealer Viktor Bout speaks out after Brittney Griner swap
A notorious arms dealer with alleged ties to Russian security services, Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the United States in late 2010. In the interview, Bout described his time in solitary confinement as especially harrowing —"Yes, there was panic. Yes, it was very difficult," he told Butina — but also complained about American prison food, lamenting his inability to access garlic or fresh herbs. In that interview, Bout was eager to play the role of national martyr. “I am proud that I am Russian, and that Putin is our president," Bout said of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
wftv.comBrittney Griner dunks in first workout since release from Russian prison, basketball future still unknown
Brittney Griner picked up a basketball on Sunday afternoon at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, marking the first time the Phoenix Mercury star had done so in about 10 months. Griner has no plans to leave Fort Sam Houston anytime soon, her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas told ESPN on Sunday night. She landed there early on Friday morning, shortly after she was released from a Russian prison, ending a nearly 300-day ordeal . When she does leave, Griner and her wife Cherelle will reportedly head to a private location — not their Phoenix home. After listening to Russian nearly nonstop, Griner insisted on talking about "everything under the sun."
wftv.comBrittney Griner 'talked about everything under the sun' with flight crew on trip home after prisoner exchange
Brittney Griner was ready to talk on her 18-hour flight back to the United States earlier this week. Griner was released from a Russian prison on Thursday after 294 days behind bars after the United States agreed to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout . The exchange took place in the UAE, where Carstens and other officials made the swap at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. What about Paul Whelan? Retired Marine Paul Whelan was not included in the prisoner swap earlier this week, something Carstens was asked about on Sunday morning.
wftv.comRussian court rejects Brittney Griner appeal of her 9-year sentence
A Russian court has rejected an appeal by U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession, a step that could move her closer to a possible high-stakes prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.
Veteran emissary Richardson hopeful for Griner, Whelan swap
Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, says he's hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.