SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner has returned to the United States, nearly 10 months after the basketball star’s detention in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm. Griner’s status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women’s basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community brought tremendous attention to her case. Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further. A deal announced Thursday saw Griner exchanged for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday in Texas.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The swap was confirmed by American and Russian officials. President Joe Biden tweeted that “Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. The exchange still left behind an American who’s been jailed for nearly four years in Russia. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who’s been imprisoned for months on drug charges.