Brittney Griner continues her efforts to return to a normal lifestyle after being released from a Russian prison 17 months ago.

Life is not the same because it used to be for the longtime WNBA All-Star.

The 6-foot-8 center looks different and has different priorities. Gone were her familiar dreadlocks, which had been unable to be maintained during her imprisonment. After 10 months of imprisonment, she often meets with a therapist who helps her cope. Since his release, Griner has been an advocate for the return of other Americans detained abroad.

Since her release, she has met with President Joe Biden twice, including once last month in Phoenix.

“I need to talk to him about a few people and just keep that in everyone’s mind,” the Phoenix Mercury star said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “You want to get noticed, and that makes people think about that first. Keep people accountable.”

Griner was detained at a Moscow airport in February 2022. Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vaping cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis.

He shares details of this harrowing experience in his recent book, “Coming Home,” which is released Tuesday.

Griner hopes that for anyone who reads this book, it’s going to be a vivid picture of what prisoners must endure. She said that is why it took her all of last season to write it with Michelle Burford.

“I didn’t miss anything from the detention, from being there, from the conditions. As much as we could fit into the book, that is principally what we did,” Griner said. “Some things will shock you.

“I hope this brings a little more understanding of the conditions that prisoners go through.”

Griner says it is important for people to have a clear picture of the situation for Americans who usually are not yet home, including Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich, so nobody gives up the fight.

“Everyone had to get together to get me home,” she said. Government officials “have to make really difficult decisions.”

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Griner, who first met with President Biden at the 2023 White House Correspondent’s Dinner, months after her return to the U.S., said she and her WNBA teammates need to keep the momentum going so everyone can get back to home.

“How are we supposed to do this? Inviting families, playing videos and giving them airtime?” she said. “Maybe someone who doesn’t know sees (the book) and writes a letter to Congress that tips the scales to bring someone home.”

Griner said her days of playing basketball abroad during the WNBA offseason were over.

Although many WNBA players proceed to play in international leagues to complement their league salaries, Griner said she has had enough, aside from USA Basketball. He hopes to make the Olympic team at the Paris Games this summer, and there are numerous indications that it will occur.

Griner played in China for several years during the WNBA offseason before moving to Russia, where she had played since 2015 before her arrest.

However, it is not only her difficult experiences in Russia that may keep her at home. Griner’s wife, Cherelle, is expecting the couple’s first child.

“I will only go abroad with the USA team,” Griner said. “I actually have to be in the states. About being a parent. The last item I would like is to float in and out of my child’s life. I would like to be there for every little thing. I don’t desire to uproot my family and take them abroad. It’s an excessive amount of.”

Griner, who has been a mental health advocate for a decade, said she sees a therapist often – which she did for several years before going to Russia – and it helps her process what she experienced in prison.

“They play a key role in my mental health,” Griner said of her sessions. “Everyone can profit from having someone to talk to. Someone outside of their on a regular basis lives. It just helps to have a different perspective on life than another person.

“That way, if you’re feeling nervous or struggling with something, it’s very beneficial.”

Last 12 months, the 33-year-old took several days off for mental health reasons during the WNBA season and missed three games. He will begin his twelfth 12 months in the league on May 14.

Griner is looking forward to it after the welcome she received upon her return last 12 months. One of the few positives Griner will take from her ordeal is the outpouring of support she received from people in the form of letters they wrote to her in prison.

“The letters from fans, teammates, opponents, general managers were amazing. They all meant a lot to me,” she said. “It was very dark at times, especially during the trial. It was an emotional rollercoaster when I was in isolation for weeks, and these letters reminded me that I was not forgotten.”