Brittney Griner makes surprise appearance at MLK Day event

Brittney Griner has made her first public appearance since her release from a Russian penal colony.

The US basketball star and her wife Cherelle were seen posing for pictures at a march to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr Day in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Mrs Griner, 32, was detained on drug charges for nearly 10 months before returning to the US in a prisoner swap.

She told local media she was happy to be back home.

An All-Star centre with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medallist, Mrs Griner was arrested in Russia in February - days before Russia invaded Ukraine - after authorities at a Moscow airport found cannabis oil in her luggage.

She was later convicted of smuggling and possessing narcotics and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.

Her case drew international attention, with high-profile figures like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NBA star Lebron James calling on the White House to secure her release.

In December, the Kremlin traded Mrs Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout, convicted in 2011 of conspiring to kill Americans. The deal did not include Paul Whelan, another American who has been sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges.

She flew back home to her native Texas on 9 December, a moment described by Phoenix Mercury President Vince Kozar as "a really special moment".

"She was so excited and we were so excited for just that moment, we had gotten past any of the fear or sadness or anything else that came along with it," Mr Kozar told the ABC-15 news outlet.

Mrs Griner, who is currently a free agent, has indicated she plans to return to the basketball court this year with her WNBA team in Phoenix for their upcoming season.