Brittney Griner has the perfect spot for her third Olympic gold medal: next to her newborn son

PARIS (AP) — Brittney Griner knows exactly where her Olympic gold medal is going — right next to her newborn son, Bash.

The United States' 67-66 victory over France in the gold-medal game capped a long road back for Griner, who was sitting in a Russian penal colony two years ago not sure if she would ever play basketball again, let alone in her third Olympics.

She had been sentenced to nine years behind bars for drug possession and smuggling in Russia, spending 10 months in jail before she was part of a high-profile prisoner exchange in December 2022. Griner, a Phoenix Mercury center who had been playing basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason when she was detained, said she would never play internationally again except with USA Basketball.

Now, 612 days since she was released, Griner has her third gold medal playing for the U.S.

“It was a long journey, a hard journey to get back into it," the 33-year-old said. "I’m just happy that my body was able to hold up and be able to be here.”

Griner has learned to appreciate the little things at the Olympics more than she did the first two times she played in them, in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and in 2021 in Tokyo. In 2021, Griner led the U.S. with 30 points, the most points ever scored by a U.S. player in a gold-medal game.

That was three years ago, but Griner's ordeal in Russia left her appreciating the mundane details of each day.

“Waking up, going to practice, even when you don’t want to practice, having the opportunity to do that, because we overlook it," she said. "That’s the opportunity that we get to do and I just cherish every second I can now.”

Griner scored four quick points and finished with two rebounds in the win. She celebrated the victory on the basketball court with lots of hugs, including from Lisa Leslie and others cheering on the Americans at Bercy Arena, essentially a road game for the U.S. with French President Emmanuel Macron in the stands.

"The gold (medal game) is just the icing on the cake, being in the Olympics ... as well,” Griner said.

During the national anthem after the medal ceremony, a visibly emotional Griner had tears streaming down her face. She wiped the tears away as the anthem ended.

Then came time to celebrate again as the Americans huddled at midcourt for photos. Griner took out a phone for the team selfie with her right hand, using her left hand to hold up her latest gold medal.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games