TO HAVE YOU WITH US HERE ON A THURSDAY NIGHT. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH THE DRAMATIC PRISONER SWAP PLAYING OUT ON THE WORLD STAGE TODAY. WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER ON HER WAY HOME TO THE U.S. TONIGHT, FREED FROM RUSSIA IN A PRISONER SWAP FOR A RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER CONVICTED HERE IN THE U.S., KNOWN AS THE MERCHANT OF DEATH. GRINER WAS ARRESTED IN FEBRUARY, DAYS BEFORE RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE. AND TONIGHT, NEARLY TEN MONTHS LATER, SHE IS NOW FREE. THE FIRST IMAGES COMING IN TONIGHT, RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA SHOWING GRINER ON THE TARMAC IN ABU DHABI, RIGHT THERE IN THE RED COAT ON THE LEFT. RELEASED TO U.S. CUSTODY, EXCHANGED FOR THAT RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER, VIKTOR BOUT. THE TWO PASSING EACH OTHER ON THE TARMAC. MOMENTS LATER, THE IMAGE FROM THE OVAL OFFICE. GRINER SPEAKING ON THE PHONE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN, HER WIFE, CHERELLE, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKEN THERE, TOO. BUT GRINER'S WIFE AND PRESIDENT BIDEN TONIGHT SAYING THEIR JOY IS TEMPERED BY CONCERN THAT ANOTHER AMERICAN DETAINED IN RUSSIA, FORMER U.S. MARINE PAUL WHELAN, IS STILL THERE. WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT THAT TODAY. AND PAUL WHELAN HIMSELF TODAY AND THE AUDIO. WHAT HE SAID AFTER LEARNING OF BRITTNEY GRINER'S RELEASE. WE BEGIN WITH OUR SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT MARY BRUCE TONIGHT. >> Reporter: TONIGHT, OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF BRITTNEY GRINER ON HER WAY TO FREEDOM. RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA RELEASING THIS VIDEO OF THE WNBA STAR MAKING HER WAY OUT OF THE COUNTRY AFTER 294 DAYS OF DETENTION. SIGNING PAPERWORK, WALKING THROUGH THE GATES, BOARDING A BUS, AND THEN GETTING ON THEIR PLANE. >> WHAT'S YOUR MOOD? >> HAPPY. >> WELL -- DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADING TO? >> NO, I DON'T KNOW. >> NO? >> I DON'T KNOW. >> YOU'RE FLYING BACK HOME -- >> TO THE U.S.? >> TO THE U.S. >> OKAY. >> EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. >> OKAY. >> Reporter: AND THEN THIS MOMENT -- GRINER RELEASED INTO U.S. CUSTODY ON A TARMAC IN ABU DHABI. GRINER THERE IN THE RED COAT. THE SMILING MAN SEEN SHAKING HANDS AND GIVING HUGS IS VIKTOR BOUT, THE NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER WHO THE U.S. SWAPPED IN EXCHANGE FOR GRINER'S FREEDOM. BOUT ARRESTED IN 2008, SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR AIDING A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND CONSPIRING TO KILL AMERICANS. BACK IN WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT BIDEN SOON ON THE PHONE WITH GRINER, THEN TWEETING, "MOMENTS AGO, ISPOKE TO BRITTNEY GRINER. SHE IS SAFE. SHE IS ON A PLANE. SHE IS ON HER WAY HOME." THERE IN THE OVAL OFFICE, GRINER'S WIFE CHERELLE, WHO HAD JUST LEARNED THE NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. SHORTLY AFTER, THE TWO GOING BEFORE CAMERAS. >> BRITTNEY WILL SOON BE BACK IN THE ARMS OF ER LOVED ONES AND -- AND SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE ALL ALONG. THIS IS A DAY WE'VE WORKED TOWARD FOR A LONG TIME. >> I'M JUST STANDING HERE OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTIONS, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT EMOTION THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS JUST SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION. >> Reporter: GRINER WAS ARRESTED IN FEBRUARY FOR ILLEGALLY BRINGING HASHISH OIL IN VAPE CARTRIDGES INTO RUSSIA. >> I MADE AN HONEST MISTAKE, AND I HOPE THAT IN YOUR RULING THAT IT DOESN'T END MY LIFE HERE. >> Reporter: SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS. GRINER WAS RECENTLY MOVED TO A PENAL COLONY 200 MILES OUTSIDE MOSCOW. FOR MONTHS, FANS, SUPPORTERS, AND TEAMMATES OF THE TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST PRESSURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO BRING HER HOME. >> BRING HER HOME! >> Reporter: TONIGHT, WE'VE LEARNED AFTER MONTHS OF PAINSTAKING NEGOTIATIONS, THE PRISONER SWAP FINALLY CAME TOGETHER IN THE LAST 48 HOURS. THE PRESIDENT SIGNING ON WITHIN JUST THE LAST WEEK. BIDEN HAD HOPED TO SECURE THE FREEDOM OF TWO AMERICANS, GRINER AND FORMER U.S. MARINE PAUL WHELAN, WHO HAS BEEN IMPRISONED ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES FOR FOUR YEARS. BUT RUSSIA REJECTED THE PROPOSAL, MAKING IT CLEAR WHELAN'S RELEASE WAS NOT ON THE TABLE. >> TODAY, MY FAMILY IS WHOLE, BUT AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT WHOLE. B.G. AND I WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE WORK OF GETTING EVERYONE AMERICAN HOME, INCLUDING PAUL. >> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT, WHELAN'S FAMILY SAYING, "THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO BRING MS. GRINER HOME AND TO MAKE THE DEAL THAT WAS POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN WAITING FOR ONE THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN." BUT PAUL WHELAN HIMSELF SPEAKING TO CNN FROM RUSSIA. >> I'M HAPPY THAT BRITTNEY IS GOING HOME TODAY. BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I'M STILL SITTING HERE. MY BAGS WERE PACKED. I'M READY TO GO HOME. I JUST NEED AN AIRPLANE TO COME AND GET ME. >> Reporter: SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN INSISTING THE U.S. MADE EVERY POSSIBLE OFFER IN AN EFFORT TO GET WHELAN OUT. >> THIS WAS NOT A CHOICE OF WHICH AMERICAN TO BRING HOME. THE CHOICE WAS ONE OR NONE. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT TODAY WITH THIS PLEDGE. >> WE'VE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT PAUL WHELAN, WHO HAS BEEN UJUSTLY DETAINED IN RUSSIA FOR YEARS. WHILE WE HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED IN SECURING PAUL'S RELEASE, WE ARE NOT GIVING UP. WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. >> SO, LET'S GET RIGHT TO MARY BRUCE, LIVE AT THE WHITE HOUSE TONIGHT. MARY, AS WE'RE ON THE AIR THIS EVENING, WE KNOW BRITTNEY GRINER OF COURSE ON THAT PLANE, HEADING BACK TO THE U.S. WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE SHE ARRIVES? >> Reporter: WELL, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT SHE IS MAKING HER WAY HOME, HEADING TO A MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WHERE SHE'LL BE OFFERED CARE. NOW, NO WORD ON WHEN WE MAY HEAR FROM GRINER DIRECTLY. TONIGHT, HER FAMILY IS ASKING FOR PRIVACY, AND JUST VERY GRATEFUL THAT SHE IS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. DAVID? >> MARY BRUCE LEADIN