Double Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner says she plans to play for Phoenix Mercury after returning home to the US after being detained in Russia for ten months ©Getty Images

Double Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner says she plans to play for Phoenix Mercury, after returning home to the United States following a 10-month detainment in Russia.

Griner, who was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap between the US and Russia said in an Instagram post: "It feels so good to be home!

"The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn.

"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 am grateful to each person who advocated for me, especially my wife, Cherelle Griner, my family, Lindsay Kagawa Colas and Casey Wasserman and my whole team at Wasserman, Vince Kozar and the Phoenix Mercury, the players of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and my entire WNBA family, Terri Jackson and the WNBPA staff, my Russian legal team Maria Blagovolina and Alex Boykov, the leaders, activists, and grassroots organisations, Governor Richardson and Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center, the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, Roger Carstens and the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs team, and of course, a special thank you to President Biden, vice-president Harris, secretary Blinken and the entire Biden-Harris administration.

In an Instagram message, Brittney Griner praised a host of people who advocated for her release, including her wife Cherelle ©Getty Images
In an Instagram message, Brittney Griner praised a host of people who advocated for her release, including her wife Cherelle ©Getty Images

"President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too.

"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."

Wasserman, one of the advocates for Griner’s release is the chairperson of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Committee.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, a week before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and handed a nine-year sentence after cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage.

She had been returning to play in the Russian Premier League for basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off season of the WNBA competition in the US.

Bout, nicknamed the "Merchant of Death", was serving a 25-year jail term, convicted on four counts of conspiracy to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles and providing material support to a terrorist organisation.