Brittney GrinerThe decision to cut his hair in a Russian prison was a matter of life and death.
“At IK-2, they froze together. My frozen curls began to mold under the foil. After showering, they took three days to dry. When training on icy mornings, I could literally feel a cold coming on,” writes 33-year-old Griner in her new book. Return homeaccording to an extract obtained by TIMEGriner has long spoken openly about the unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the internment camp. (In a 20/20 Interview with ABC Robin Robertsshe remembered sleeping on a bloody mattress.)
Before her conviction, which came after she was arrested at a Russian airport for possession of 0.7 grams of hashish oil, which is legal in her home state of Arizona but illegal in Russia, Griner wore dreadlocks that fell past her shoulders. (After her arrest, she was sentenced to nine years in a labor camp.)
Griner began growing out her locks while attending Baylor University in Texas—and like most black women, her hair was a source of pride and a practical tool.
Who is Brittney Griner? What you should know about the WNBA star arrested in Russia
“I loved how easy they made my life,” Griner writes. “I didn’t have to think much about my hair. I could just ride. … Me and my dreads had a history together: my coming out to Pops, the WNBA draft, my rise at Baylor, my love story with (my wife) Relle. Together we have been through the good times, the bad times and the devastating times.”
Unfortunately, her Russian imprisonment meant that her curls had to “go.” However, Griner writes that despite the horrific conditions in prison, she could not cut her hair as she pleased. She needed permission.
“Ann (an inmate) helped me write an application to give to (the deputy warden) Mother of Dragon. I told her I would continue to get sick if I kept her. She agreed. There was a salon in the colony. The stylist was (Bauleder) Val‘s girlfriend, an elderly lady named Jenya. She had a nice little setup: barber’s chair, hair tools, pictures of hairstyles on the walls. And she did everything herself, from perms and buzz cuts to color and curls,” Griner writes.
Griner’s curls proved to be a challenge for Jenya. “When I sat down in her chair, she looked at my dreads and thought, ‘What do I do with these?'” the excerpt reads.
Griner continues, “I showed her a picture of my nephew EJ, who had the short fade haircut I wanted. I motioned for her to cut off the locks. Dreadlock after dreadlock, the old me fell to the floor. Then she put a guard on her clippers and – bzzzz – dragged the vibrating steel across my scalp. I couldn’t see a thing while she cut. I just had to trust her. Later, when she turned me around to face the mirror, I thought, ‘Not bad.'”
Fans of Griner were shocked to see her transformation when she was released on December 8, 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States for arms dealers Victor Bout. She returned to the basketball court in time for the 2023 WNBA season. She is a center for the Phoenix Mercury.
Griner’s memoirs, Return homewill premiere on May 7th.
