we'll go to terry jackson in a minute if we can. let me get your perspective here on what it means for, one, vladimir putin after all of these months to finally agree to this exchange for viktor bout, but also to make sure that it was only brittney griner coming home, and not paul whelan. >> yeah, bianna, i think i have a different take on this which is to say that vladimir putin was never going to give us paul whelan. all along he probably knew he was only going to give us brittney griner in exchange for viktor bout. he definitely wanted viktor bout so there was going to be an exchange, and it's happening now because vladimir putin wants this to happen now. he needs a win. he needs a victory in russia because he is having trouble convincing the russian people it's a good idea to be at war with ukraine. i think all of this back and forth negotiation was just typical of the kremlin under vladimir putin. just a lot of playing games, frankly. >> that takes a lot of messed up propaganda to somehow view this as a victory to russians back

joining us now is terry jackson. she's the executive director of the women's national basketball players association. thanks so much for joining us. how'd you feel this morning when you heard the news? >> thank you, jake. i -- i go to bed every night saying brittney's coming home tomorrow. so i was anxiously anticipating this morning. i thought i was just going to be happy, happy, happy, and i was. but hearing the news just released the gates of emotion. i sobbed like i haven't sobbed in quite a long time. but it was all tears of joy. pure joy. >> have you been told any information about how brittney is doing? >> i have not. i have not. you know, i've done these interviews in the past, spoken with you and your colleagues, and i say every time i see an image of b.g. i lean in to see if i can read her face. she has beautiful cheekbones. she's striking. and just seeing the smile, seeing that there was some good spirits there made me feel good. but i know that there is a journey ahead of healing and wellness and we are a

and i am just so grateful to get to do what i get to do. >> terri jackson, thank you so much for joining us and congratulations to you and all the players in the wnba. really excited for you. >> appreciate you. thank you. >> let's bring in julietoffy, washington correspondent for puck, and nayer hawk, former senior director at the white house. thank you all so much for joining me this evening. julia, i'll start with you. i guess, after something like this happens, the immediate thought is, is there a warning that needs to go out to americans? there's probably hundreds of americans, hundreds, thousands who on a regular basis fly in and out of russia on a regular basis. does this mean they should no longer do that? does this mean this is a shot across the bow? what does this mean for sort of civilian american relations in and out of russia? >> well, that warning went out actually about a year ago. the state department said that americans should not travel to russia because of fear of things like this. because as you recall around this time last year, things were heating up around ukraine.

joining me now is terry jackson, executive director of the woman's national basketball association. hank you, it is a great day. it is a great day, every day since last thursday. it is a great day. >> i want to ask you about that? have you been in touch with brittani since her release? >> i have not, yet. i have sent messages through her team. obviously, to her wife, also. but, what i always said at the end of my message, i have no expectation that i will hear back from you. i know that nobody can love you like your family loves you so i do not look to interrupt or interfere with any moment of their time to reconnect. when the time is right we will. >> very well said, beautiful. i think, terri, we can all safely say that any person can break under the pressure and conditions that she was under well in russia. but, she writes that she kept the faith, dug deep, and what do you know about her personally that makes that bring especially true for you? >> you know, this is a beautiful person head to toe. of course, we all know that she is a professional and she is a professional athlete. w

here's terry jackson the executive director of women's -- top earlier with cnn jake tapper. >> i go tory night saying brittani's coming home tomorrow so i was anxiously anticipating this morning, i thought i was just going to be happy, happy, happy and i was but hearing the news just released the gates of the motion i sobbed like i have and sobbed in quite a long time. it was all tears of joy. pure joy. >> more now from someone who has known britney griner since childhood, friend and a player, should not. i know this has been a day of celebration for you and everybody who has been working with britney griner and working to get her home, how did you first hear the news? >> oh my goodness, you are absolutely correct. this is a huge moment for everyone who has followed bg's story, over the last 294 days since she was wrongfully detained and we all woke up today with the best news imaginable, it was actually a text from my big sister who is the president of the wnba players association, and she gave me a heads up because i'm on the west coast and what an amazing start and also the powerful

this picture with the caption -- >> joining us is brianna turner, brittney griner's teammate, and terry jacksone both. it's good to see you. a happier frame of mind. we have talked for months, all of us, about how could we get her home and what would happen in court and the appeal which didn't work. brianna, what is your reaction to the news she's on her way to texas? >> i'm just so excited. it was the best news to wake up to, especially during the holiday season. push excitement from me. >> terry, how concerned are you about her health? she spent so much time in prison. she didn't have enough exercise time. the facility was cold. she didn't have good nutrition. then she went to prison camp, the labor camp. that is notorious in terms of how bad the facility is. i'm sorry. we will re-establish there with her. we have lost that signal. brianna, let's talk about that. you have to be concerned. you are an athlete. you know about conditioning. you know how little exercise she was getting. what is your understanding as to what kind of physical shape she's in? >> i think obviously bg is a professional

. >>> joining us is terry jackson. it's good to see you again. let's start by playing what we heard last night from steph curry as he received sports person of the year honors. >> we need to stay engaged in the fight to protect american citizens at home and abroad who are wrongfully detained. we continue to be engaged in that fight. bg, we love you. thank you for your sacrifice and your continued perseverance and patience to get through this process. hope you enjoy reuniting with your family. we are always with you, bg. >> how great is that? now that she's home, can you describe the joy you are feeling? what you have been hearing throughout the wnba and the nba community. >> yes. thank you, andrea, first of all. thank you for playing that clip. it's nice to hear our brothers are standing with us as we continue our work with the to bring our families home campaign. we are filled with joy. it's beautiful to wake up today and say, yesterday was not a dream. this is really real. she's here. her feet are on u.s. soil. we are overjoyed. overjoyed. our

but my sister has done an amazing job working with our executive director terry jackson to have constant communication and by the way, people in the wnba, our players have constantly been writing to brittney to keep her spirits up so there have been so many communications by all the key stakeholders and i can't wait to talk to brittney myself so i think everyone will get in line for that. we're happy, relieved and grateful. >> they say she'll be home within hours, chin. e chiney, ogwumike, thanks for joining us. >>> you just heard from the vice president of the wnba players association, they're talking about how she can't wait to see brittney griner, her family also reacting to her release and homecoming ahead. >>> first though this hour the house expected to pass a bill soon which will protect same-sex marriage. this in a landmark vote. we'll be live on capitol hill. so i choose neuriva plus. unlike some others, neuriva plus is a multitasker supporting 6 key indicatators of brain health. to help keep me sharp. neuriva: think bigigger. the face of millions of germs zapped in seconds. the

women like angela wry, karen finney, terry jackson. i could go on and on with so many leaders.on, love, the power of advocacy from her wife, cherelle. friends like coach john staley who stayed so consistent. every day women, black women, who lent their names, their platforms, to continue to send one message. we are bg, we stand with bg, and to continue to push. to call for her freedom. it was just so powerful to see that freedom the other day. i think so many of us had so much joy and relief in our hearts. we also had a moment where we know that the power of our voice is important. it is important that we continue to use it. we are so happy and so glad to see that bg is home. she is safe, she is free, she is where she is supposed to be. a home with her family, her wife, and everyone who loves her. >> it should have been a cause for unified celebration, even if you had substantive arguments about what this means about the future president swabs. it is undeniably good news that britney griner's home. yet you had republican lawmakers who were leaning into tropes that had no place

and i spoke to terry jackson who said exactly the same thing, the head of the players association, the wnba players association, and she said, look, this is a journey. and she has to regain her strength, you know, if the doctors are going to assess for physical and mental fitness, because all returning hostages, and let's face, it combat veterans, often go to army medical and get excellent care, and the doctors there are expert in ptsd and a lot of other things and she has nutrition and sanitation and health checkups, and vaccinations that we would normally get. none of that has been available to her. so this has to be a process. but so far, i mean she frankly, russian tv, yesterday, on the plane, coming from moscow to abu dhabi where she was handed over to the americans, where the trade took place, on the tarmac, she was great, she was smiling, and she looked really well. and so what we're showing now is viktor bout, also, leaving with his people, as he emerged after 15 years in a u.s. prison. an arms dealer who is also going back to russia. i think as far as brittney griner is concer

. >> bishop reginald jackson and shakya terry donaldson. rsonal note, the morning after the 2020 debate in atlanta, we got a breakfast for clergy that you keno did, bishop jackson. you might want to know that when this documentary movie on you comes out this weekend and, i believe there are seven or eight years in atlanta alone showing it. the sermon that morning is part of it, i had nothing to do with it. i know editorial control but they put it in there. he just might want to know. you might want to chill after tuesday voting and watch yourself. >> thank you. >> thank you so much! it's great being with you and i will be in the theater. >> closing up and we are going to look at how the proposed democratic primary schedule could impact the election on both sides of the aisle. you are watching politicsnation. politicsnation silverado rst. with a multi-flex midgate for extra storage. and an available 400 miles of range on a full charge. evs for everyone, everywhere. chevrolet teeth sensitivity is so common. it immediately feels like somebody's