Brittney Griner, a WNBA star who made international headlines after being arrested while attempting to travel from Moscow with cannabis oil in a vaping cartridge in her luggage shortly after the war in Ukraine began, says that the national anthem “hit different” while she and her teammates stood for the Star-Spangled Banner before their preseason game Saturday night.

“Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different,” Griner said. “It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up, and the anthem is playing, it just hits different.”

Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard agrees.