Brittney Griner contemplated suicide during her 10 month stint in an infamous Russian penal colony, the WBNA star said in her first sit-down interview since she was released in December 2022.
"I was just so scared for everything," Griner told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, in a clip that was shared to promote the full interview - which will air on May 1. "I didn't think I could get through what I needed to get through."
Griner, 33, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a six-time WNBA All Star. She was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022 for possessing cannabis products. Griner was initially sentenced to nine years in prison but was released through a prisoner swap.
During her interview with Roberts, Griner maintained she brought vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil into Russia, by mistake. She added that when she reached into her pockets and found the cartridges she thought "my life is over right here."
The basketball star told Roberts that her prison mattress had a "huge blood stain" and that she was not given soap or toilet paper.
"That was the moment where I just felt less than a human," Griner said.
Just months after her release from prison, Griner returned to professional basketball - making her ninth appearance at the WNBA All-Star game in the 2023 season. She will release a memoir entitled "Coming Home" that details her prison experience, on May 7.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
