After being released from prison, Brittney Griner returned to the basketball court in time for the 2023 WNBA season.

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Brittney Griner Previously Revealed She Had to Get Permission to Cut Her Hair in Prison

Brittney Griner’s decision to cut her hair while in a Russian prison was a matter of life and death.

Ahead of her sentence, which came after she was detained in a Russian airport for possessing grams of hash oil, fans knew Griner for her signature dreadlocks, which fell past her shoulders.

Griner began growing out her locs while attending Baylor University in Texas, but that ended in Russia.

“At IK-2, they froze together. My iced locs started molding beneath that wrap. They took three days to dry after I showered. During exercise on frigid mornings, I could literally feel a head cold coming on,” Griner wrote in her new book, Coming Home, per an excerpt obtained by TIME.

Unfortunately, due to her Russian confinement, her locs “had to go.” Griner wrote.

Fans of Brittany Griner were shocked to see her transformation when she was released in December 2022 in a prisoner exchange with the United States for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Also Read: Brittney Griner Makes Her Feelings Clear After Winning Gold With Team USA As She Recalls “Prison Train” Ride That Changed Her Life