WNBA's Brittney Griner Working with ESPN on Documentary About Russian Imprisonment

WNBA star Brittney Griner has reached an agreement with Disney to tell the story of her detainment in a Russian prison for 10 months in 2022.

"The last two years have been the most harrowing, transformative and illuminating period of my life, and I am grateful to be in a place now to share my story with the world," Griner said in a statement. "I'm proud to partner with ESPN and Disney to share this very personal story because of its incredible potential to inspire hope around the world and their proven ability to do just that."

Per ESPN's press release, ESPN Films is making a documentary feature on the ordeal, while ABC Signature is creating a scripted series. Griner will also give her first exclusive interview on her detainment to ABC News' Robin Roberts.

The documentary will include "exclusive footage and rare archival material to tell her story, including the circumstances that led to her playing overseas, her detainment and separation from her wife, the fight to gain her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees."

Griner, 33, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022 and charged with drug smuggling due to possession of marijuana. She testified in a Russian court that she had inadvertently packed cannabis oil into her bag while returning to play for her Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, during the WNBA offseason.

She was sentenced to nine years in prison and lost her appeal, leading to her imprisonment in a Mordovia republic penal colony.

Griner was eventually released in a prisoner exchange between the two countries, which freed convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from U.S. custody.

"Brittney is an exceptional athlete whose hardship and resilience are nothing short of extraordinary," ESPN's president of content, Burke Magnus, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to be working with her to tell the nuances of her story and feel confident that this documentary will captivate audiences everywhere."