>>> AND WE ARE BACK HERE ON "GMA3" WITH MORE ON THE RELEASE OF BASKETBALL STAR, BRITTNEY GRINER, NOW ON HER WAY HOME FROM A RUSSIAN PENAL COLONY. >> WE WANT TO BRING IN ABC NEWS CONTRIBUTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US MIKE. SINCE BRITTNEY GRINER'S ARREST, MANY IN THE SPORTS COMMUNITY CALLED ON THE WHITE HOUSE TO GET HER OUT OF RUSSIA. SOUTH CAROLINA COACH DON STALEY, WHO COACHED GRINER, OFTEN WORE MULTIPLE GRINER SHIRTS WHILE COACHING. TELL US, WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF THAT CALL TO ACTION? >> IT'S BEEN A BIG IMPACT. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT, STEPHANIE AND DeMARCO, THIS GENERATION OF ATHLETES. THESE ATHLETES ARE MORE VOCAL THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE. THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR PLATFORM THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEY'RE USING THEIR PLATFORM FOR GOOD. I WANT TO REALLY TAKE A SPECIAL MOMENT TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE WNBA. THE WNBA HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL ON ACTIVISM FROM THE GEORGE FLOYD TO BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS, AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY STRONG IN THEIR VOCAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR COLLEAGUE, THEIR TEAM MEMBER, THEIR FAMILY, BRITTNEY GRINER. THEY'VE DONE THIS FROM THE BEGINNING, AND THEY BELIEVE IN ACTIVISM AND USING THEIR PLATFORM FOR GOOD. >> MIKE, GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT WASN'T JUST THE WNBA, BUT IT WAS ALSO THE SPORTS COMMUNITY CALLING ON PRESIDENT BIDEN TO TAKE ACTION. ALMOST 50 CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SENT A LETTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE ASKING TO BRING BRITTNEY GRINER HOME. WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED ADVOCACY? >> THIS IS ALMOST A CASE STUDY IN ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR YOUNG PEOPLE, SOMETIMES GET DISCOURAGED AT THE PACE OF GOVERNMENT, AT THE PACE OF WASHINGTON. BUT I THINK THIS IS PROOF POSITIVE THAT IF YOU BELIEVE IN A SINGLE CAUSE, IF YOU BELIEVE IN A SINGLE MISSION, AND WHEN YOU BRING THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SAME INTERESTS, THAT THINGS AND CHANGE CAN HAPPEN. THIS IS A CASE STUDY THAT I BELIEVE, DeMARCO, WILL BE STUDIED FOR A LONG TIME TO COME ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY AND THE RESULT THAT YOU CAN GET BY BEING CONSISTENT IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. >> AND MIKE, AS YOU KNOW, BRITTNEY GRINER SPENT ALMOST TEN MONTHS IN RUSSIA. HOW DOES THAT IMPACT HER CAREER, AS SHE EVENTUALLY TRIES TO PREPARE TO RETURN TO THE WNBA? >> IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE. YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING. SHE'S GOING TO BE OUT OF HER RHYTHM. BUT I BELIEVE SHE WILL COME BACK STRONG. SHE'S A WORLD CLASS ATHLETE. IT'S LIKE RIDING A BIKE FOR ATHLETES OF HER LEVEL. I BELIEVE WE'LL SEE HER ON THE COURT STRONGER THAN EVER, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE AUDIENCE COME BACK IN SUCH FULL SUPPORT AND SUPPORTING THE WNBA AND HER TEAMMATES. >> FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU. THIS JUST IN, THE HOUSE GAVE FINAL APPROVAL TO PROTECT SAME SEX MARRIAGE RIGHTS WITH LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE VOTED IN FAVOR. IT HEADS TO PRESIDENT BIDEN TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS TO OUR VIEWERS. >> NOT ONLY IS IT SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE TIMING IS KEY. WE KNOW BRITTNEY GRINER IS IN A SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIP WITH HER LIFE. SO, COMING ON A DAY LIKE THIS IS SO SIGNIFICANT, TO LET INDIVIDUALS KNOW THAT LGBTQAI PLUS COMMUNITIES, IT'S THEIR RIGHT MATTERS, WHO THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE MATTERS, AND THAT CAN'T BE TAKEN AWAY. >> MIKE, PLEASURE TO SEE YOU. IT'S BEEN A MINUTE, BUT GOOD TO SEE YOU ON TV FINALLY. >> IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO BE WITH ALL THREE OF YOU TODAY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE COMMUNITY REALLY RALLIED AROUND BRITTNEY GRINER, AND