00:00Well, at our last Essence Brunch, we were specifically asked, not because it was streaming,
00:08not to mention Brittany Griner on the stream, that we were going to shut down the camera
00:14and we were going to talk about her because it was the elephant in the room.
00:17You can't talk about anything right now without acknowledging that she is not here where she
00:21should be, right?
00:22But that was because, at the time, we were told, diplomatically, it would be better if
00:30we didn't create any waves, like, let the government handle it.
00:34It could create a worse situation for her.
00:37And sort of unquestioningly, we just, like, did it.
00:41And it was like, well, it went.
00:42And I wonder, have we failed her by waiting, by letting them tell us, we got this.
00:55They don't got this.
00:58She's been gone for 100 and what, Don, 36 days.
01:02And I wonder what we could have done and how we learn from that situation and stop just
01:11accepting what we've been told and stand up for our sisters.
01:14I don't know if that's a question more than it is just a statement.
01:17And I apologize to her family because I should be doing more.
01:22I should be on SportsCenter saying it.
01:23And I just assumed I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
01:28And now, it's been over three and a half months.
01:32And I just, I wonder, as we are finding our voice, for the women out there that feel like
01:40they have things that they want to say, please, Don.
01:44Yeah, please.
01:45And Swen, too, if you.
01:50I just want to say this, Elle, about Britney.
01:55And we've been just, you know, on the grounds trying to do what we can to keep raising awareness
02:03and prioritizing it for us because we know her, we love her, we know her heart, we know
02:10her wife, we know her family.
02:12And I would say this, Elle, when they tell you this, like, tell me if you think ESPN will
02:20want the first interview when Britney comes home.
02:23Would they want that?
02:23Well, that's the kind of energy we need to bring her home.
02:28And if we keep that in mind, if the ESPNs, the ABCs, the CNNs, the MSNBCs, if they would
02:36do something every single day, make this a story every single day, like they're going
02:42to get the first interview when she walks away from that Russian prison.
02:48If that kind of energy is going on right now, she will be home by now.
02:52And I just want to say to you, Elle, you are not the only one.
03:02And my heart's breaking because I see you and a lot of people had to go through the same
03:06thing.
03:07And whatever it takes right now, we can't look back at what happened in the past.
03:13And when people say, don't talk, do talk now, and you just don't.
03:16I know my dad served 30 years Marine Corps, and I know what he told me, and that is that
03:22every single day people have to be talking about it.
03:25If you know somebody that's in the news, you know somebody that can write about it, they
03:29need to be talking about it.
03:30Because every single thing my dad told me was going to happen months ago has happened.
03:35So it is no longer in the past.
03:38Do not feel bad.
03:39Whatever Dawn just said, we got to do whatever it takes to get Brittany home.
03:42So use your platforms, everybody that's in the news.
03:46Amen.
03:50I think it's time because when it first happened, we were taught to keep quiet.
03:54We don't want to spark anything over there.
03:56Mind you, I played in Russia for three, four years.
03:59We've been in and out those borders tons of times.
04:02They know who we are.
04:03They know we're basketball players.
04:04It ain't nothing new with us going over there.
04:06I do think that she was targeted a little bit with what's going on.
04:10I do believe that.
04:11I do think it's time for us to start some good trouble, you know, and really start speaking out.
04:16Like Dawn said, we got to, it's time.
04:18It's time.
04:18Let's get her back over.
04:19I don't think we have anything to lose at this point.
04:21We're really, really just put it out.
04:24Support her foundation.
04:25Like, just do whatever you can.
04:26Look on the WBA websites.
04:28Just please, because we just need to get her back.
04:30I don't, you know, and knowing Brittany, her personality, she's such a, I know she's 6'9", but she's a big teddy bear.
04:37You guys know her.
04:38She will, if she was here right now, she would have you guys laughing the whole time.
04:42That's her.
04:42So just her mental state.
04:44Keep her in prayer, y'all.
04:46You know, please.
04:47You heard Caroline say it earlier, if you take nothing else away from this, please don't just tweet, like, how gorgeous it is in here, because it is.
04:55Like, if it's just about Brittany today, if that's all you post about, then that's, that's okay.
05:00That's enough.
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