Brittney Griner's Olympic coach Dawn Staley called for compassion as the eight-time Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star was released from Russian detention on Thursday.
Staley, who led the United States to gold at the Tokyo Games and was assistant coach in 2016, was among those calling for Griner's release after she was first detained in February.
Griner pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and smuggling illegal drugs but insisted she had made an "honest mistake" and on Thursday U.S. President Joe Biden announced her release.