Brittney Griner has been released from Russian prison and the two-time basketball Olympic gold medallist will be back in America in the next 24 hours, US president Joe Biden said.
At the White House, President Biden confirmed he had spoken to 32-year-old Griner, who was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17 for bringing under a gram of cannabis oil into Russia in vape cartridges.
That was shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine, weakening diplomatic relations with the US, and eight-time WNBA All-Star Griner was jailed for nine years in August for drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent.
Griner said she made an "honest mistake", and her lawyers argued she was using cannabis for medicinal purposes to treat chronic pain sustained over the course of her career.
They said she was not aware cannabis oil was outlawed in Russia.
Reports in the United States said Griner had been freed in a prisoner exchange that has seen arms dealer Viktor Bout released into Russian hands.
President Biden said Griner had been "unjustly detained in Russia", describing circumstances she endured as "intolerable".
"Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along," Biden said. "This is a day we've worked towards for a long time."
Biden said there had been "painstaking and intense negotiations". He said recent months had been "hell for Brittney" and stressed efforts were ongoing to free former US Marine Paul Whelan, who is in a Russian jail after being convicted in 2020 on espionage charges.
Biden said Phoenix Mercury player Griner was "in good spirits" and "relieved to be heading home" after enduring "needless trauma".
She was "wrongfully detained" in the first place, Biden said, and he added: "She endured mistreatment and a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity.
"She wrote to me back in July, she didn't ask for special treatment, even though we'd been working on her release since day one."
Griner's wife Cherelle appeared alongside Biden and said: "Over the last nine months y'all have been so privy to one of the darkest moments of my life."
She said news of Griner's release left her "overwhelmed with emotions", and she offered "sincere gratitude" to Biden and his administration.
"Today it's just a happy day for me and my family," she added.
Klay Thompson admitted he "fell asleep" as the Utah Jazz produced a stunning finish to snatch a dramatic 124-123 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The Warriors roared back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to lead by four with only 13.3 seconds to play at Vivint Arena.
Golden State paid the price for switching off in the closing stages, though, leaving Malik Beasley on his own in the right corner to give him the chance to land a three-pointer.
Simone Fontecchio then came up with a decisive dunk with 1.4 seconds to go after Utah forced a turnover from Jordan Poole.
Thompson held his hands up for not paying close attention to Beasley.
"I just fell asleep," Thompson said. "I watched the ball handler get to the rim rather than sticking on the three-point shooter. That was a dreadful mistake by myself."
Poole, who scored 36 points and provided eight assists, was at a loss to explain what happened late on.
"I heard on the catch, 'Look for the foul on the ball'," Poole said. "I don't really know [what happened], to be honest."
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expects his team to learn from a shattering defeat.
"I feel terrible for our guys because they fought and they did a lot of great things, but we have to close the door," Kerr said.
"I thought [we] really fought and earned the right to win the game, and then we didn't close. And you've got to close.
"You've got to be rock solid with the ball. You've got to be smart defensively. We were neither of those things the last 13 seconds."
Golden State are 10th in the Western Conference at 13-13 after back-to-back losses, with the 15-12 Jazz four places above them.
Desmond Bane faces longer than expected on the sidelines after it was revealed the Memphis Grizzlies guard may not play again until January.
Struck down by a toe injury, it had been announced on November 15 that the Grizzlies would be without Bane for up to three weeks, but the wait goes on for his return.
An update from the team on Tuesday disclosed he faces up to a further four weeks out of action, and that is provided the toe reacts as the Grizzles hope it will to a gradual recovery process.
Bane has a big toe sprain and a sesamoid injury, which refers to a bone embedded within a tendon or muscle.
He sustained the toe sprain during a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 11.
In a statement, the Grizzlies said: "Upon re-evaluation, Desmond Bane is progressing in his rehabilitation from a right big toe sprain and sesamoid injury and has been cleared to begin a gradual re-loading protocol.
"If the toe responds positively to the re-loading protocol, a return to play is projected in 3-4 weeks."
Bane is averaging a career-high 24.7 points, 4.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game for Memphis in an impressive season to date. The team sit third in the Western Conference with a 16-9 record.
The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics had a statement win over the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns with a 125-98 blowout victory on Wednesday.
The Celtics led by as much as 45 points and benched MVP candidate Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter, in a game where the Suns welcomed back All-Star Chris Paul from a heel injury.
Tatum finished with 25 points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 24-year-old is the first player in Celtics history to average 30 points per game in his first 25 games of any season.
Jaylen Brown also scored 25 points with seven rebounds, while Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points off the bench.
Boston led 69-42 at half-time in the blowout win, which was the Celtics' second-biggest margin this season.
Devin Booker struggled with four fouls and three field-goals made in the first half, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Paul had four points and four assists in 24 minutes on his return.
The result means the Celtics improved to an NBA-best 21-5 record after three straight wins, while the Suns fall to 16-9.
Giannis powers Bucks to another win
Giannis Antetokounmpo matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second-longest streak of consecutive 30-point games (eight) in franchise history as the Milwaukee Bucks downed the Sacramento Kings 126-113.
The Greek forward finished with 35 points on 12-of-19 field-goal shooting, with six rebounds and six assists as the Bucks improved to 18-6 with their third straight win. The victory extended the Bucks' win streak against the Kings to 13.
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday made an excellent contribution with 31 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Kings forward Domantas Sabonis added 23 points with 12 rebounds.
Banchero clutch in Magic OT win
Top overall NBA Draft pick Pablo Banchero showcased his potential to help the Orlando Magic snap their nine-game losing streak with a 116-111 overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 20-year-old power forward scored 23 points for the game, including making all six of his free-throws in the final seven seconds of overtime to overturn a 111-110 deficit. The Clippers gave up two turnovers down the stretch.
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard made another rare appearance together again, combining for 17 first-quarter points. George finished with 11 for the game with seven rebounds and five assists, while Leonard added 14 points with seven rebounds and three assists.
The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics had a statement win over the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns with a 125-98 blowout victory on Wednesday.
The Celtics led by as much as 45 points and benched MVP candidate Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter, in a game where the Suns welcomed back All-Star Chris Paul from a heel injury.
Tatum finished with 25 points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 24-year-old is the first player in Celtics history to average 30 points per game in his first 25 games of any season.
Jaylen Brown also scored 25 points with seven rebounds, while Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points off the bench.
Boston led 69-42 at half-time in the blowout win, which was the Celtics' second-biggest margin this season.
Devin Booker struggled with four fouls and three field-goals made in the first half, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Paul had four points and four assists in 24 minutes on his return.
The result means the Celtics improved to an NBA-best 21-5 record after three straight wins, while the Suns fall to 16-9.
Giannis powers Bucks to another win
Giannis Antetokounmpo matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second-longest streak of consecutive 30-point games (eight) in franchise history as the Milwaukee Bucks downed the Sacramento Kings 126-113.
The Greek forward finished with 35 points on 12-of-19 field-goal shooting, with six rebounds and six assists as the Bucks improved to 18-6 with their third straight win. The victory extended the Bucks' win streak against the Kings to 13.
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday made an excellent contribution with 31 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Kings forward Domantas Sabonis added 23 points with 12 rebounds.
Banchero clutch in Magic OT win
Top overall NBA Draft pick Pablo Banchero showcased his potential to help the Orlando Magic snap their nine-game losing streak with a 116-111 overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 20-year-old power forward scored 23 points for the game, including making all six of his free-throws in the final seven seconds of overtime to overturn a 111-110 deficit. The Clippers gave up two turnovers down the stretch.
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard made another rare appearance together again, combining for 17 first-quarter points. George finished with 11 for the game with seven rebounds and five assists, while Leonard added 14 points with seven rebounds and three assists.
All-Star guard Dejounte Murray exited the Atlanta Hawks' game with the New York Knicks on Wednesday with a left ankle sprain.
Murray, who was traded to the Hawks from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason, limped off in the first quarter after only four minutes on court.
The 26-year-old landed awkwardly on R.J. Barrett's foot as came down from a mid-range jump shot and was slow to get to his feet.
The guard had initially been listed as questionable, before the Hawks later ruled him out for the game.
Murray is averaging a career-high 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists through 24 games this season for the Hawks, who came into Wednesday's game with a 13-11 record.
Chris Paul is expected to play for the Phoenix Suns for the first time in a month when they take on the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
Paul has been absent since November 7 after injuring his heel in the 100-88 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Suns have gone 9-5 without Paul on the court and will head into the match-up with the Celtics in first place in the Western Conference.
Paul's return comes as the Suns prepare to take on Boston, who are top of the Eastern Conference and boast the NBA's best record at 20-5.
"I feel pretty good," Paul told reporters. "I'm going to see how I feel after this and go from there."
Injury aside, 37-year-old Paul has had his struggles this season, averaging just 9.5 points-per-game and shooting at just 36.8 per cent, both career-lows.
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