John Riordan: Sports diplomacy greases the wheels to set Griner free 

America woke up Thursday morning to a highly choreographed feel good story which was a delicate mix of celebrity advocacy and the less famous US Marine left behind.

RELEASED: WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner speaks with her lawyers Alexander Boykov, right, and Maria Blagovolina at a court room prior to a hearing in the Khimki district court, just outside Moscow. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov, File)

International sports diplomacy clawed back a little of its World Cup-tarnished name when the US government announced the release of two-time Olympic Gold winning basketball star Brittney Griner in a historic prisoner swap with Russia.

America woke up on Thursday morning to a highly choreographed, feelgood story which was a delicate mix of celebrity advocacy and the less famous US Marine left behind.