She was held captive in Russia for 10 months after being arrested in Moscow for drug possession. She was sentenced to nine years in prison after being caught with a cannabis oil cartridge while returning to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg.
"She told the hosts that he got on the plane thinking Paul Whelan was going to be on that plane," Roberts said, discussing Griner's organization, which aims to help other imprisoned Americans abroad. "It's called 'Bringing Our Families Home' to help efforts to free other detainees."
Griner describes his detention in Russia
The interview with Griner, who continues to prepare for her second WNBA season since her debut, will air on May 1. As she explained to Roberts, Griner's first thought when she was arrested amid the growing Ukraine-Russia conflict was this: "My life is over here.
"I was so scared, there was so much I didn't know." She was taken to a camp in Mordovia with a violent reputation. Griner described seeing a 'huge knife' on a table in the prison camp and thinking: "No, this will be a trip. Do what you have to do to survive."
She said conditions were less than 'humane'.
