One fateful morning, Brittney Griner’s everyday life went from easy dunks and admiring crowds as a WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, to unrelenting fear, malnourishment, and dangerous work conditions in a freezing cold Russian penal colony. 

With less than a gram of cannabis oil found in her luggage, what might be considered careless oversight led to immense repercussions that rocked nations, became a wedge political issue, and would be used as a cudgel against “wokeness.”

Captured by director Alexandria Stapleton (Sean Combs: The Reckoning), Griner’s rise to fame, family dynamics, and home life with her wife and baby are interspersed with a play-by-play of the incident. Griner, given the circumstances, comes off as affable and gracious, even as she recounts her harrowing 295 days in custody. It is in the aftermath of this spectacle that we witness the joy of a fresh start through the continuation of her wife’s tireless advocacy for international hostages and a renewed appreciation for her beloved sport.