Washington — Brittney Griner will share more about her “unfathomable” experience behind bars in Russia in a memoir set to be released next year, she said Tuesday.
The WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist spent nearly 10 months imprisoned on drug charges in Russia, where she played during the WNBA off-season. Her arrest coincided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further complicating negotiations for her release. She was freed in December in a prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
“That day was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,” Griner said in a news release announcing her yet-to-be-titled memoir from publisher Alfred A. Knopf.
“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud,” she said. “After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.”
Griner said she hopes her book also brings awareness to the cases of other Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad, including Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years on espionage charges; Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was recently arrested in Russia; and journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared more than a decade ago in Syria.
“Griner discloses in vivid detail her harrowing experience of her wrongful detainment (as classified by the State Department) and the difficulty of navigating the byzantine Russian legal system in a language she did not speak,” Knopf said in Tuesday’s statement. “Griner also describes her stark and surreal time living in a foreign prison and the terrifying aspects of day-to-day life in a women’s penal colony.”
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has acquired an ownership stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, team owner Mark Davis announced Thursday.
“I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,” said Brady in a statement on Thursday. “I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes. To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”
Brady said his love for women’s sports grew out of watching his older sisters, who were “by far the best athletes in our house!”
Brady announced his retirement from the NFL in February after 23 seasons with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his long career, the three-time league MVP set almost every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He has also amassed the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).
“Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court,” said Davis, who also owns the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. “Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole.”
Davis purchased the WNBA franchise before the 2021 season. Brady’s partial acquisition of the team is subject to WNBA approval.
The Aces enter the upcoming season as reigning WNBA champions. The team opens the season against the Seattle Storm on May 20 at Climate Pledge Arena in Washington.
In October, Brady joined the ownership group of an expansion Major League Pickleball team, along with former tennis World No. 1 Kim Clijsters, who in December attended the draft to support their new squad, the Las Vegas Night Owls.
Griner, who was imprisoned for months on drug charges in Russia last year, made the powerful call alongside her wife Cherelle Griner in an appearance that made NBA icon Dwyane Wade emotional in the audience on Saturday.
“It feels so good to be here, especially with my beautiful, amazing wife and with all of y’all here today,” the WNBA star said.
“I want to thank everyone and let’s keep fighting to bring home every American still detained overseas.”
Moments before the WNBA star’s address, Cherelle Griner thanked Black women and Black-led organizations “who fought so hard” for Griner’s release in December.
The ceremony’s host Queen Latifah introduced Griner and her wife prior to their brief appearance and said she was “back here with us where she belongs.”
She later hugged Latifah and bumped her first following the exchange.
“I hope you’ll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families,” she wrote on Instagram days before Christmas.
Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was detained in Russia for nearly ten months, will be re-signing with the Phoenix Mercury for a one-year contract, a source confirmed to CBS News on Sunday.
The 32-year-old spent nearly 300 days in Russia, after she was arrested for marijuana possession while traveling to the country to play basketball during the WNBA off-season. The Biden administration considered her detention and trial as politically motivated. Moscow released the athlete in a swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
After Griner’s release in December, she took to Instagram to say she intended to once again play for the Mercury, where she has been a center since 2013. She had been a free agent until her re-signing.
“I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” Griner wrote at the time.
Garner last played for the Mercury in 2021, when she helped the team make it to the WNBA finals.
Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, has also re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury in a multiyear contract, the team announced on Saturday.
A formal announcement of Griner’s re-signing is expected on Tuesday.
After spending nearly 10 months imprisoned in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is making her return to basketball in the upcoming season, signing a one-year deal with the Phoenix Mercury, according to ESPN and The Athletic, who cited multiple unnamed sources.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was released in December – after spending nearly 300 days in Russian custody – in a prisoner exchange with Russia.
“It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn,” she wrote in a Decemberpost on Instagram. “I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.”
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” Griner said.
Griner – who for yearshad played in the WNBA off-season for a Russian women’s basketball team – was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region in February 2022. Her detention, which became an international cause during a tense time in relations between the US and Russia, was deemed wrongful by American officials.
And despite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil that was found in her luggage, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was moved to a penal colony in the Mordovia republic in mid-November after losing her appeal.
The 32-year-old last played with the Mercury in 2021, helping lead the team to the WNBA Finals, which they lost to the Chicago Sky.
Before that, the seven-time All-Star had played all nine seasons with the franchise since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.
Phoenix are scheduled to open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19.The team will play their first home game against the Sky on May 21.
CNN has reached out to Griner’s representatives and the Phoenix Mercury but did not immediately hear back.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — WNBA star Brittney Griner attended the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament Saturday in her second public appearance since her release from a Russian prison.
Griner was part of a crowd of about 200,000 fans at the tournament, watching the action from the stadium 16th hole.
American professional basketball player Brittney Griner acknowledges fans as she watches on the 16th hole during the third round of the Phoenix Open golf tournament, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Last month in her first appearance, the Griner was at the Martin Luther King Jr. march in downtown Phoenix.
Griner is skipping the USA Basketball training camp in Minnesota so she can be with her wife and recover from her time in jail in Russia. She was traded in a dramatic prisoner swap in December.
Griner has said she’ll play for the Phoenix Mercury again this season, although she’s still an unsigned free agent. She hasn’t talked about her international future and potentially playing in the Olympics next year in Paris.
The WNBA players’ union said Saturday it will review Dearica Hamby’s complaints about Las Vegas management after the Aces traded the two-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Sparks. In an Instagram post, the 29-year-old Hamby said the Aces attacked her character and work ethic.
“Being traded is a part of the business,” Hamby posted. “Being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not.”
A message was left by the AP seeking comment from the Aces.
Hamby agreed to a two-year contract extension with Las Vegas in June. She said in her Instagram post that Aces management said she knew she was pregnant at the time of the deal.
“This is false,” Hamby wrote. “I was told that I was a ‘question mark’ and that it was said that I said I would ‘get pregnant again’ and there was a concern for my level of commitment to the team.”
She also said the Aces said they were concerned Hamby wouldn’t be ready for this season. Hamby said she plans to play this season.
“I remained transparent with everyone within the organization, and yet, my honesty was met with coldness, disrespect, and disregard from members of management,” Hamby wrote. “I have only put this organization first since day one before any of them were here.”
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association said it would “seek a comprehensive investigation ” to ensure that Hamby’s rights under the league’s 2020 labor agreement as well as state and federal laws were not violated.
The Sparks also received the Aces’ first-round pick in 2024 in exchange for the exclusive negotiating rights to Amanda Zahui B., plus the Sparks’ 2024 second-round pick.
“Adding Dearica to our roster plus a future first-round pick was a solid move for us,” Sparks GM Karen Bryant said in a statement. “We’re excited to have another key piece in place as we start free agency.”
Hamby spent her first eight WNBA seasons with the same franchise, dating to the Aces’ days in San Antonio as the Silver Stars. The 6-foot-3 forward was the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Hamby was the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Hamby averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Aces last season when they won their first WNBA championship. She was limited in the playoffs due to a knee injury.
“Dearica has dedicated eight years of her career to this organization, and played a big role in our success since the team moved to Las Vegas,” Aces general manager Natalie Williams said in a statement. “We’re going to miss her as a teammate, and are grateful for all of her contributions to the Aces over the years.”
Hamby announced at the Aces’ championship parade last September that she was expecting her second child. Hamby’s 5-year-old daughter Amaya accompanied her mother during the 2020 season, which was played in a bubble in Florida because of the pandemic. They were among those featured in the documentary “144.”
Zahui B. did not play in the WNBA last season after the Sparks placed her on the suspended list. She is averaging 6.2 points in seven seasons.
The Aces’ first home game of the 2023 season will be May 27 against the Sparks.
Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby (5) looks on during halftime warmups in the WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun on July 17, 2022, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Brittney Griner is heading home after spending about a week at a military base in Texas after she was released from a Russian prison. She says she plans to return to the WNBA next season. Weijia Jiang has the latest.
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Brittney Griner departed a medical military facility in Texas on Friday and returned home, and she intends to play basketball for her team this season, according to her Instagram feed.
For the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who was released last week in a prisoner swap after nearly 300 days in Russian custody, the day marks another step in her reintegration into American life.
“It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn,” she said in an Instagram post. “I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.”
Griner said she was “grateful to each person who advocated for me” and she mentioned Paul Whelan, whose release could not be secured in the prisoner swap that brought her home.
“President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,” she said. “I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole.”
Griner took off from Kelly Field in San Antonio around 11 a.m. on Friday, CNN confirmed via her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.
As she boarded the plane, Griner was greeted by Phoenix Mercury GM Jim Pitman, Vince Kozar president of the Phoenix Mercury and her Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi, all of whom made a surprise appearance to welcome her home.
Griner is heading back to Arizona, though her representatives would not confirm exactly where, citing security concerns. CNN previously reported that Griner and her wife, Cherelle, had already made plans to move upon her return to the United States.
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” Griner said.
Griner’s detention, after Russian officials found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage, became an international cause during a delicate time in relations between Washington and Moscow. US officials deemed it a wrongful detention.
She had traveled to Russia to play basketball in the WNBA offseason and was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region.
Despite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil in her luggage, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was moved to a penal colony in the Mordovia republic in mid-November after losing her appeal.
The Phoenix Mercury center became a pawn in Russia’s war in Ukraine and returned to the US on December 9 after a prisoner swap for notorious convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner stayed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for a week for routine evaluation. She has been staying with her wife, Cherelle Griner, in a residential facility on the base. Her arrest and conviction brought attention to the plight of other Americans in Russian custody, including Whelan and Trevor Reed, who returned to the US in April after a nearly three-year ordeal.
WNBA star Brittney Griner returned to the basketball court for the first time after being freed from a Russian prison. The Biden administration is still working to secure the release of Paul Whelan from Russia. Nancy Cordes has the latest.
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Despite a successful prisoner swap this week involving WNBA star Brittney Griner and notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, tensions remain high between the U.S. and Russia. Christina Ruffini has the details.
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Brittney Griner arrived in the U.S. early Friday following her release from Russia in a prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout. CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang joined Catherine Herridge to discuss the latest.
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WNBA star Brittney Griner is back in the U.S. a day after being released from a penal colony in Russia. She is undergoing medical evaluations in Texas. Weijia Jiang reports.
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After the news broke that Brittney Griner was released by Russia in a one-for-oneprisoner swap, her wife spoke to CBS News’ Gayle King about how she learned the WNBA star would finally be free after 10 months in Russian prisons.
King recalled hearing her phone ring Thursday night as she was about to go on stage at an event. The person on the other end of the line was Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner’s wife.
“I was very surprised she was calling at this particular time,” King said. “I thought, ‘What could this be?’ So, I started asking her about her day.”
Cherelle Griner told King she got a call from the White House about a week ago saying they were “feeling optimistic” but she had no idea what that meant. Then on Tuesday, Cherelle Griner was told she needed to go to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
“Again, she said she’s very nervous,” King said. “Is it good news, is it bad news? She started thinking, ‘Why would they call me to Washington if it was good news?’”
Despite not knowing what to expect, Cherelle Griner went, assuming she would be flying back home to Phoenix shortly after the trip. Instead, when she arrived in the nation’s capital, President Joe Biden asked to see her.
“She goes into the Oval Office and she said the first thing Joe Biden said to her was, ‘We got her,’” King said. “Which, she said, ‘It just took me a minute to process exactly what that means.’”
King said there were reasons why the negotiation of Brittney Griner’s release — which was in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout — was kept so quiet.
“The White House was so concerned about it leaking that they gave her very little details,” King said. “And she said but once she got in, they said there was going to be a news conference. And they asked her, ‘Do you want to be in the audience? Do you want to stand beside me? Do you not want to be in the room?’ And she was so thankful and so grateful to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. She said, ‘I will stand beside the two of you because you are bringing my wife home.’”
By then, Cherelle Griner’s happiness was easy to see after a difficult year.
“She’s still on cloud nine,” King said. “She said, ‘Gayle … I’m smiling so much, my face hurts.’”
Cherelle Griner also chose a particular color to commemorate her wife’s return.
“She wore red yesterday,” King said, “because it was Brittney’s favorite color.”
Brittney Griner arrived in the U.S. early Friday, landing at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.
The WNBA star, who was held for months in Russian prisons on drug charges, was released Thursday in a one-for-oneprisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout, bringing an end to an ordeal that sparked intense high-level negotiations between the Washington and the Moscow to secure her freedom.
Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, tweeted, “So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!”
Per standard procedure for freed U.S. prisoners, Griner was expected to quickly undergo a medical evaluation.
American basketball star Brittney Griner is seen getting off a plane after landing at the Kelly Field in San Antonio on Dec. 9, 2022, after she was released from a Russian prison in exchange for a notorious arms dealer.
SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden announced Griner’s impending return Thursday morning at the White House, saying, “She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home.”
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along,” Mr. Biden said. “This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release.”
CBS News was first to report the swap, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, citing a U.S. official.Five former U.S. officials told CBS News the agreement was reached last Thursday.
The president said he spoke to Griner by phone from the Oval Office, where he was joined by Griner’s wife Cherelle, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service, WNBA star Brittney Griner sits in a plane as she flies to Abu Dhabi to be exchanged for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, on Dec. 9, 2022.
/ AP
Mr. Biden said he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits.” He dismissed the “show trial in Russia” that landed her in prison and said “she didn’t ask for special treatment.”
To secure Griner’s release, the president ordered that Bout be freed and returned to Russia. Mr. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.
Notably, the Griner-for-Bout exchange left retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan has been in Russian custody for nearly four years. He was convicted on espionage charges that the U.S. has called false.
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Mr. Biden said Thursday, adding “we will never give up” on securing his release.
U.S. officials told reporters it became clear in talks with the Russians that the prospect of securing the release of both Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout was a nonstarter, with one official saying the U.S. had “a choice between bringing home one particular American — Brittney Griner — or bringing home none.”
Whelan told CNN in a phone call Thursday he was happy Griner was free but he was “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up.” This month marks the fourth anniversary of Whelan’s time in Russian custody.
Griner, a 32-year-old star center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport in February and later pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the discovery of cannabis-derived oil cartridges in her luggage. Griner said she didn’t mean to bring the cartridges with her when she traveled to the country to play in a Russian basketball league during the WNBA offseason.
After five months of stalled diplomacy and various permutations of potential swap arrangements — including a previously unreported offer by the U.S. this past summer to send two prisoners back to Russia for the two Americans — sources say the one-for-one exchange came together over the last two weeks.
Whelan, who once worked as a corporate security contractor, was in Moscow for a friend’s wedding when he was detained at a hotel in December 2018. Russian authorities later sentenced him to 16 years in prison for espionage — a charge the U.S. and Whelan denied.
Bout, who was most recently held at a federal prison in Marion, Illinois, was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency in Thailand following a sting operation in 2008. He was convicted of conspiring to kill Americans and began his 25-year sentence a decade ago.
Griner’s arrest coincided with the February start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and all U.S. dealings with the Kremlin have been complicated by that conflict. The U.S. has said both Griner and Whelan were “wrongfully detained,” and officials have suspected that Russia has been using the American prisoners as leverage.
Griner’s return for Bout marks the Biden administration’s second prisoner swap with Russia. In April, the U.S. traded Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine, for Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia for nearly three years.
CBS News learned last Thursday that the Griner-for-Bout swap was in the offing but agreed to a White House request to hold the reporting because officials expressed grave concern about the fragility of the then-emerging deal.
The Biden administration officials warned that making details of the swap public beforehand would almost certainly lead Russia to pull out of the agreement and potentially endanger Griner’s well-being.
Nancy Cordes, Ed O’Keefe, Sara Cook, Camilla Schick, Tucker Reals, Haley Ott, Melissa Quinn and Caitlin Yilek contributed reporting.
The Biden administration is receiving some criticism for the release of convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of a prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner. Some U.S. officials are worried about the national security implications of Bout’s return to Russia. CBS News chief national affairs and justice correspondent Jeff Pegues discusses the situation.
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Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was held for months in Russian prisons on drug charges, was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a U.S. official.
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Washington — Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was held for months in Russian prisons on drug charges, was released Thursday in a one-for-oneprisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, bringing an end to an ordeal that sparked intensive high-level negotiations between the U.S. and the Kremlin to secure her freedom.
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane,” President Biden said at the White House, announcing the exchange.”She’s on her way home, after months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances. Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along. This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release.”
CBS News was first to report the swap, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, after it was confirmed by a U.S. official. The exchange agreement negotiated with Moscow in recent weeks was given final approval byMr. Biden within justthe last week, according to sources familiar with the deal.
Five former U.S. officials told CBS News the agreementhad been reached as oflast Thursday.
The president said he spoke to Griner by phone from the Oval Office, where he was joined by Griner’s wife Cherelle, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Per standard procedure for freed U.S. prisoners, Griner was expected to quickly undergo a medical evaluation.
Mr. Biden said that he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits,” and that she was looking forward to getting home. The president dismissed the “show trial in Russia” that landed her in prison and said “she didn’t ask for special treatment.”
To secure Griner’s release, the president ordered Bout to be freed and returned to Russia. Mr. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.
Notably, the Griner-for-Bout exchange leaves retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan has been in Russian custody for nearly four years. He was convicted on espionage charges that the U.S. has called false.
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Mr. Biden said Thursday, adding “we will never give up” on securing his release. U.S. officials told reporters that it became clear in talks with the Russians that the prospect of exchanging both Griner and Whelan for Bout was a nonstarter, with one saying the U.S. had was “a choice between bringing home one particular American — Brittney Griner — or bringing home none.”
Griner, a 32-year-old star center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport in February and later pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the discovery of cannabis-derived oil cartridges in her luggage. Griner said she didn’t mean to bring the cartridges with her when she traveled to the country to play in a Russian basketball league during the WNBA offseason.
After five months of stalled diplomacy and various permutations of potential swap arrangements — including a previously unreported offer by the U.S. this past summer to send two prisoners back to Russia for the two Americans — sources say the one-for-one exchange came together over the last two weeks.
Whelan, who once worked as a corporate security contractor, was in Moscow for a friend’s wedding when he was detained at a hotel in December 2018. Russian authorities later sentenced him to 16 years in prison for espionage — a charge the U.S. and Whelan denied. This month marks the fourth anniversary of Whelan’s time in Russian custody.
Bout, who was most recently held at a federal prison in Marion, Illinois, was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency in Thailand following a sting operation in 2008. He was convicted of conspiring to kill Americans and began his 25-year sentence a decade ago.
Griner’s arrest coincided with the February start to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and all U.S. dealings with the Kremlin have been complicated by that conflict. The U.S. has said both Griner and Whelan were “wrongfully detained,” and officials have suspected that Russia has been using the American prisoners as leverage.
Griner’s return for Bout marks the Biden administration’s second prisoner swap with Russia. In April, the U.S. traded Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine, for Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia for nearly three years.
CBS News learned last Thursday that the Griner-for-Bout swap was in the offing but agreed to a White House request to hold the reporting because officials expressed grave concern about the fragility of the then-emerging deal.
The Biden administration officials warned that making details of the swap public beforehand would almost certainly lead Russia to pull out of the agreement and potentially endanger Griner’s well-being.
Nancy Cordes, Ed O’Keefe, Sara Cook, Camilla Schick, Tucker Reals, Haley Ott and Melissa Quinn contributed reporting.
HIGHLAND PARK, IL – OCTOBER 21: A gate with the number 23 controls access to the home of basketball … [+] legend Michael Jordan on October 21, 2013 in Highland Park, Illinois. Twenty-three is the number Jordan wore while playing basketball for the Chicago Bulls. The home which had been offered for sale for $29 million and later dropped to $21 million is scheduled to be sold at auction on November 22. The 32,683-squre-foot home features nine bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, a 15-car attached garage and an “NBA-quality” basketball court. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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The careers of most athletes are short-lived. 3.5 years is typically the average number of years WNBA players have to play at a high level. To most athletes, each day isn’t just a chance to get better on the court, but also a day to prepare for what the future may hold.
Liberian-American basketball star Matee Ajavon went on to have an illustrious start to her career by winning the Gold Medal in the Pan-American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil while attending Rutgers University. Her team, led by the famous Coach C. Vivian Stringer also went to the 2007 NCAA Championship Game vs. Tennessee University only to fall short of a win.
When the Houston Comets drafted Matee Ajavon as the fifth overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, she instantly knew she had been given an opportunity that most athletes only dream of throughout their lifetime. Matee was 1 of the 144 women that could actually call themselves a WNBA pro.
Her career beat the odds by lasting for a total of 10 years. Matee played with the Houston Comets (1 year), Washington Mystics (5 years), and Atlanta Dream for the last 4 years of her career. She also played in 5 different countries that included Turkey, Brazil, Israel, Poland and Romania in the off-season. Going overseas allowed some WNBA players to earn up to 10x the salary they would in the WNBA.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 16: Matee Ajavon #10 of the Atlanta Dream handles the ball against the Los … [+] Angeles Sparks in WNBA game at Staples Center on July 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
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In the latter stages of her career, Matee admits that she always felt the need to diversify and invest her earnings. Her search eventually led her to Real Estate Gurus; a company led by Real Estate professional Justin Giles. Giles introduced a then-retired Matee Ajavon to a whole new world by helping her build a real estate investment business.
Giles is a well-known real estate advisor and licensed real estate broker of 17+ years and has been behind the making of quite a few athlete-turned-real estate investors. He utilizes his social media platform on Instagram to educate and connect his many followers on ways to simply start investing in real estate.
His strategies, as explained in two of his books, Zero Down and Learn To Fish And Eat Forever, have also been widely received and critically acclaimed.
The number of former and current athletes investing in real estate has multiplied over time. Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Alex Rodriguez, & Martin Braithwaite immediately come to mind,
A Familiar Market
Professional athletes, especially in leagues like the NBA, WNBA, or the NFL, are traded quite often from team to team during their careers. This also means they have to purchase or rent properties from different parts of the country.
Athletes rarely have the chance to play for their home teams, which means they are likely to maintain at least two properties at any given time. One of them being their home state and the other being their current location.
While many A-list players may have people who put property deals together for them, most others have to get involved personally. In turn, this puts them squarely in the bustle of the industry. Whether knowing or unknowingly, many athletes end up as real estate investors or somewhat develop an idea or love for the industry.
Senegalese-born former Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng started a real estate symposium to educate players on the value of the sector. At the time he said, “I’ve always had a love for real estate and wanted to do something in Chicago for a long time,”
“We talk about players going broke, but we don’t talk about why that is happening,” Deng says. “The symposiums were a way to teach players about real estate and foster a better understanding of these kinds of investments.”
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: Luol Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls attempts to steal the ball from LeBron … [+] James #6 of the Miami Heat in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2011 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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A Low Entrance Bar And High Availability
Few people consider the real estate market as having a low entrance bar because of the high prices quoted for properties. Not every athlete can afford to splash $36 million on a Beverly Hills mansion like LeBron. But according to Giles, they don’t have to;
“Athletes are often looking to invest their earnings and savings into the real estate industry. So they have to learn the art of finding the best deals from anywhere in the country. At every price point, there will always be an available and lucrative property somewhere and also loans available to help anyone acquire properties.”
“Even though some pro-athletes may be familiar with buying and selling properties, they still need to learn the small details of how to actually buy and sell properties as a ‘realbusiness’. The first thing is learning how to find these deals that may not be in plain sight, next how to renovate these properties with the help of contractors, and last and definitely not least, how to turn it into healthy profits.”
The real estate market also offers many options for investment; while athletes like the NFL’s William Sweet buys and rent out their properties, others could choose to flip homes or buy and hold assets as part of their real estate portfolio.
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 29: William Sweet #75 of the Arizona Cardinals walks in the bench area during a … [+] preseason National Football League game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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“There are properties that are entering foreclosure, and I teach people how to stop a foreclosure even 24 hours before the auction.” Giles explains, “There are houses owned by deceased individuals who passed on without a will. Whenever that happens, there are ways to help their heirs claim these properties and then purchase the properties from them. If you know where to look, properties are always available using these strategies”
Robbie Fowler, an ex-Liverpool Football Club and England FC star who is now estimated to be worth roughly £30 million ($34 million) also opined, “Don’t get me wrong, not everything went into property at the time. And I didn’t just invest on my own, because when I was 18, I was on next to nothing and I couldn’t afford it, regardless of what people think about football players”.
“I invested with partners. It was all through the advice I was given, not because I knew anything or wanted to know it, it was totally by accident”.
He continued, “When you’re 18, I think it is probably the last thing on your mind. You’re obviously signing new contracts and you want to go out, you probably want a new car, and you’ll get all the things that you haven’t had”.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 04: Roar coach Robbie Fowler poses during an International Champions Cup … [+] media opportunity, ahead of matches between Crystal Palace FC, West Ham United FC and the Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on March 04, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
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“But then all of a sudden, there comes a time when you think: Uh, I need to pull the reins in a little bit here and maybe look after my life after football. When I was 18, that was far from my mind, but over the years, it does materialise that way”.
Passive Income
Every investor’s dream is to have a portfolio that yields more passive income than active income. Athletes and celebrities often invest in stocks and bonds to get passive income, but the fluctuating markets have dissuaded many of them and made real estate investing a bit more attractive. This desire for passive income has led several pro athletes to invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs). While REITs are often considered safe, they are also more of a long-term strategy.
“After the housing crash of 2008, I found myself in so much debt. But somehow, I decided to stick with real estate, and over time I have devised investment strategies that make investing in real estate virtually recession-proof.” Giles believes that there is no such thing as a bad property market.
Justin Giles – The Celebrity-Athlete’s Pathway; Why Professional Athletes Are Investing Heavily Into … [+] Real Estate
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If the storied investment successes of NBA greats like Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson are anything to go by, pro athletes will be investing in real estate for quite some time.
