American Brittney Griner says she felt “less than human” during her time in a Russian prison.
The 33-year-old spent 10 months in Russian custody for possessing cannabis oil before being released in a high-profile prisoner exchange in December 2022.
“When we walk into the cell, there’s a bathroom,” Griner told American broadcaster ABC.
“There’s a little rickety sink that leaks and then just add a layer of dust, dirt, grime, blood stains. Just filth.
“I had a couple of shirts, a couple of pairs of sweats, the shoes on my feet.
“One of my shirts, I ripped it up and I used one to clean myself. I used one as my toilet paper. With my dirty, dirty hole in the ground with feces all over it.
“That was the moment where I just felt the dirtiest and less than a human.”
Griner had been playing in the Russian Premier League when she was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022. She pleaded guilty to the charges, was sentenced to nine years in prison and sent to a penal colony.
Her release was granted after the US government struck a deal with Russia in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
“My whole heart just fell out of my body,” added Griner, reflecting on her bags being searched at the airport.
“Just this overpowering feeling of like an elevator dropped from underneath my feet. I’m just like, ‘my life is over right here’.”
She added: “I wanted to take my life more than once in the first weeks. I felt like leaving here so badly.”
The Phoenix Mercury player has since vowed she would no longer play overseas unless it was with the United States national team.
She also said she was ordered to write a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin during her ordeal.
“They made me write this letter. It was in Russian,” she said.
“I had to ask for forgiveness and thanks from their so-called great leader. I didn’t want to do it, but at the same time I wanted to come home.”
Griner, who is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, made her competitive return playing for Phoenix Mercury against the Los Angeles Sparks in May 2023. – BBC Sport