Taurasi said Griner texted her Tuesday morning asking how training camp was going.
"She wants to be a part of this like no one else," Taurasi said. "So, she'll get there eventually. She'll find her footing."
The two talk regularly now that Griner is back in Arizona. They hang out, chat on the phone and text each other.
"We've had probably too many jokes that I can't share, too many stories that I can't share," Taurasi said. "I'm just happy she's home."
There was a point throughout Griner's ordeal in Russia, however, that Taurasi wasn't sure if she'd ever see her good friend again. Taurasi was on the private plane that picked up Griner outside San Antonio and flew her back to Arizona.
"It was a situation that I thought wasn't going to happen," Taurasi said. "I'm not a person that lives in this fake world of optimism. ... I lived in Russia for 10 years. I know how serious these things are there, and being put in that situation, I really thought it was gonna be a long time until I got to see my friend again.
"And every single day we suffered and hoped she'd be back and not until I saw her, did I really believe it. And just to see her smile, just to see her free, was really emotional for everyone. And we knew, at the same time, the minute she got into that plane and we got to Phoenix, there was going to be a whole new set of challenges, a whole new reality, a whole new way of living life for B.G. And all I can say is that every day she's in a great place, she's so thankful to be home.
"She has so much admiration for all the people who pushed and helped and made sure that we got her home and it's a work in progress, but it's just amazing to see her at home and with her friends and family. And the one thing that has never left B.G. is the ability to make people happy and to make them smile. I'm just so glad she's home with her family and her friends. That to me is the most important thing."
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