Ever since the arrest of Brittney Griner, fans and celebrities have shown their support for her release. When she was sentenced to nine years in prison, the support only grew louder. After ten months in captivity, she was released last week in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner’s fans and a lot of celebrities celebrated her return to the country. However, many were not pleased. While some were not happy with the release of Bout, some were unhappy about leaving behind former Marine, Paul Whelan.

Some also questioned the Phoenix Mercury star’s patriotism given her protests of the national anthem in the past. Now, a veteran has come to the support of Griner as he took to Instagram to share his message.

A veteran supports Brittney Griner

After her release, Brittney Griner was flown to Joint Base San Antonio, a military base. She was then reportedly taken to a hospital at the base where she was medically evaluated. Griner and her spouse reportedly stayed at the base while family members visited. As questions about her patriotism were raised, a veteran named Gupton showed his support. Apparently, the sergeant met Griner shortly after she landed in the U.S.

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He wrote, “While people found entertainment and enjoyment mocking the plight of Brittney Griner?s life I actually got a chance to meet her and have a conversation with her shortly after she had been brought back to the United States from Russia!”

The veteran added, “I challenge people instead of being cynical, mean, and cold hearted try to be intentional about showing compassion, empathy, and understanding to people and the challenges that they face. Through this shared experience and understanding there is common ground and growth to be had on all fronts.”

The Phoenix Mercury star recently made her first public statement after her release via Instagram. She expressed her gratitude to everyone who advocated for her release. She also stated that she is grateful for the staff at the military base. Furthermore, she shared Sergeant Gupton’s post as an Instagram story.

Griner’s protest in 2020

During the nationwide protests for the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Brittney Griner protested by not taking the court while the national anthem was sung during the entire WNBA season. Many recounted Griner’s protest of the national anthem when there were talks about her release.

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A recent report from ‘Fox News’ by David Marcus wondered whether the national anthem would have a different meaning to her now, after the country’s sacrifice of releasing Viktor Bout to free her.