WNBA player Brittney Griner, who previously protested national anthem, said 'Star-Spangled Banner' 'hit different' after being freed from Russia

WNBA player Brittney Griner had a new-found appreciation of the national anthem in her return to basketball on Friday night. Previously, Griner protested the national anthem.

Griner played in her first WNBA game on Friday since the Phoenix Mercury basketball player had been held in a Russian prison for 10 months. Griner missed the entire 2022 WNBA season.

Griner had been detained in Russia after being arrested and pleading guilty to drug charges related to having cannabis oil vape canisters in her luggage. Griner had been sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison, but was brought back to the United States last December after the U.S. government made a prisoner swap with Russia.

Griner stood tall with teammates during the national anthem in her first game back at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different,” Griner told reporters after the Mercury game. “It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up and the anthem is playing, it just hits different.

"Being here today, it means a lot," she added.

“I’m grateful to be here, that’s for sure,” Griner said, before vowing, “I’m not going to take a day for granted.”

Griner, 32, has a much different perspective on the national anthem after being detained in Russia than she previously did.

In July 2020, Griner protested the national anthem by refusing to be on the basketball court when the "Star-Spangled Banner" played. Griner and other Mercury players were boycotting the national anthem to show solidarity with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement.

Griner told the Arizona Republic at the time, "I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season. I think we should take that much of a stand."

She added, "I don't mean that in any disrespect to our country. My dad was in Vietnam and a law officer for 30 years. I wanted to be a cop before basketball. I do have pride for my country."

"I'm going to protest regardless," the Mercury center said. "I'm not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that's fine. It will be all season long, I'll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself."

Griner finished with 10 points and three rebounds in the Mercury's final WNBA preseason game.

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