Dallas Basketball

Brittney Griner Russian Prison Release Update As WNBA Star is TIME Cover

It's fitting that the promising news came just a few hours before TIME's reveal ... all of which cannot come soon enough for her friends and family.

Matt Galatzan

TIME magazine has revealed a former Baylor basketball star as the cover subject on its latest issue with the title "Brittney Griner and the Fight for Freedom."

Former Baylor Bears basketball star and Phoenix Mercury center Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for allegedly possessing cannabis oil. This offense can net up to 10 years in a Russian federal prison.

The 31-year-old was training in the country during the WNBA's offseason and was set to make her way back to the States before her arrest. Since then, the WNBA and many U.S citizens have clamored for the government to take action to bring her home.

And after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared Wednesday that the United States was in the process of completing a deal to bring Griner home via prisoner exchange, her potential release gained significant traction.

It's fitting that the promising news came just a few hours before TIME's reveal ... all of which cannot come soon enough for her friends and family.

Griner issued a guilty plea to a Russian court on July 7 and also included an ask for mercy from the judge. Griner claimed that, while she did commit the crime, she did so inadvertently.

The former Baylor star was the No. 1 overall pick in 2013. As a WNBA Champion, eight-time All-Star, and Olympic gold medalist, she's started all 254 games in her WNBA career while averaging 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.8 blocks on 56 percent shooting.

In four seasons in Waco, Griner's performance made her become one of the best college basketball players of all time. She led Baylor to an overall record of 106-5 during her final three years, which included a 40-0 finish in 2011-12. She averaged 22 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and an astounding 5.1 blocks per game during her collegiate career. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com. He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration.  Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network.  When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later.  Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered.  Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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