Brittney Griner touched down at a Texas military base early this morning after nearly 10 months behind bars in Russia.

Driving the news: The U.S. freed convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in an exchange for Griner that took place Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.

What they're saying: "After months of being unjustly detained ... Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along," President Biden said in an address Thursday.

• "Today, my family is whole," Griner's wife, Cherelle, said at the White House. "But as you all are aware, there are so many other families who are not whole."
• "BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home."

Between the lines: Several Republican lawmakers blasted the prisoner exchange because it did not include former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has been held in Russia since 2018.

• "While we have not yet succeeded in securing [Whelan's] release, we are not giving up," President Biden said Thursday. "We remain in close touch with Paul's family."
• "It is so important to me that it is clear that we do not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom," said Paul’s brother, David. "It has always been a strong possibility that one might be freed without the other."

Catch up quick: Griner was arrested in February after Russian authorities found a vape cartridge with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was later sentenced to nine years and spent the past month in a penal colony.

Timeline:

• Feb. 17: Griner is detained
• Feb. 24: Russia invades Ukraine
• March 5: News breaks about Griner's detainment
• March 17: Detainment extended to May 19
• March 23: U.S. officials meet with Griner
• May 3: U.S. government deems Griner "wrongfully detained"
• May 13: Detention extended 30 days
• July 1: Trial begins
• July 7: Griner pleads guilty
• July 27: Griner testifies
• Aug. 4: Sentenced to nine years
• Oct. 25: Court denies appeal
• Nov. 9: Transferred to unknown penal colony
• Nov. 17: Moved to penal colony in Mordovia
• Dec. 8: Released

What's next: Griner will be offered specialized medical services and counseling upon her return, according to U.S. officials. The 2023 WNBA season starts in May.

Go deeper: The hectic final chapter of Griner's time in Russia (ESPN)

Viktor Bout was exchanged for Brittney Griner on Thursday, Axios' Troy Smith writes.

The backdrop: Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death," was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. for charges that included conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and aiding a terrorist organization.

• A "60 Minutes" segment covering Bout's extradition to the U.S. in 2010 labeled him "one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth."
• He is thought to be the inspiration for the 2005 Nicholas Cage film "Lord of War."

Flashback: The UN began investigating Bout, a former Soviet military officer, in the 1990s for trafficking military-grade weapons during conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.

• Bout was arrested in Thailand in a 2008 sting operation and convicted in a U.S. court in 2012 for supplying weapons to a terrorist organization and conspiring to kill Americans.
• Russia called the charges "baseless and biased" and accused the U.S. of targeting Bout for political reasons.

The NHL is experiencing a scoring revolution, with young, uber-skilled players taking over a game that's increasingly offensive-minded, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

By the numbers: Teams were averaging 3.21 goals per game entering Thursday night, the highest mark since 1994 (3.24) and an 18% increase in just the past half-decade.

The backdrop: Scoring declined in the mid-90s during the Dead Puck era, when new defensive strategies like the neutral zone trap were implemented and talent was diluted amid expansion.

• But coming out of the 2004-05 lockout, a host of new rules were introduced with an eye towards improving offense.
• Change took time, but the kids who grew up in that new era are now entering the league, ushering in a skill-heavy, offensive-focused game.

Between the lines: Those skills don't just magically appear; they take practice, often with a dedicated skills coach. Such coaches are the norm with younger players, but as the game has changed, so have its elder statesmen.

• "Last summer was the first summer I worked on individual skills stuff," veteran Kings defender Drew Doughty, 33, told The Athletic ($).
• "I had never done that my whole career. I would just scrimmage all summer. That's how I would get ready for the season."

The intrigue: The offensive side of coaching has overtaken the defensive side," Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said on TNT. That philosophical change, driven by more skilled players, has also bled into the power play.

• Many coaches now stack their offense during power plays to optimize their advantage, bringing on a fourth forward in lieu of the three-forward, two-defender lineup used at even strength.
• The result? Teams are scoring on an NHL record 23% of their power play opportunities.

🏈 Comeback kid: Baker Mayfield led a 98-yard game-winning drive in his L.A. debut to lift the Rams past the Raiders, 17-16, and hand Vegas its fourth loss this year after leading by 13+ points.

🏈 Commanders report: The House Committee for Oversight and Reform released a 79-page report on Thursday accusing team owner Daniel Snyder of delivering "evasive" and "misleading" testimony about a toxic workplace, as well as trying to intimidate witnesses.

⚽️ Departing coaches: Luis Enrique (Spain), Gerardo "Tata" Martino (Mexico), Roberto Martínez (Belgium), Otto Addo (Ghana) and Paulo Bento (South Korea) have all either been fired or resigned after their teams were eliminated from the World Cup.

Welcome to our first NBA power rankings of the 2022-23 season, which we'll be publishing weekly on Fridays going forward.

The red-hot Celtics were an easy No. 1 in our first power rankings, but a crowded middle class made the rest of our decisions much harder, Jeff writes.

By the numbers: 17 teams were within three games of .500 (above or below) as of the season's quarter-mark last Friday, per SI.

• That's the most such teams at the quarter-mark since the NBA's 1995 expansion, and nearly twice the average (nine) in that time.
• A week later, there are still 16 such teams.

Go deeper: Who's real and who's not? (The Ringer)

The Heisman Award winner will be announced on Saturday at New York City's Lincoln Center (8pm ET, ESPN). Let's meet the four QB finalists, Jeff writes.

1. Caleb Williams, USC (-2500 odds to win, per BetMGM): The five-star recruit followed coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC and led a remarkable turnaround that saw the Trojans go from 4-8 to 11-2.

• Hometown: Washington, D.C.
• Stats: 4,075 passing yards (4th-most in FBS), 37 TD (t-1st), 4 INT, 86.5 QBR (5th); 372 rushing yards, 10 TD
• Fun fact: If he wins as expected, he'd give USC a record eight Heisman winners (including Reggie Bush's vacated award), breaking a tie with Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

2. Max Duggan, TCU (+2000): Despite starting most of his first three years, new coach Sonny Dykes made Duggan the backup this season. No matter: Duggan "Wally Pipp'd" the starter after a Week 1 injury, leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record and their first CFP berth.

• Hometown: Council Bluffs, Iowa
• Stats: 3,321 passing yards (16th), 30 TD (12th), 4 INT, 80.2 QBR (14th); 404 rushing yards, 6 TD
• Fun fact: He won the Davey O'Brien Award on Thursday night as the nation's best QB, making him TCU's first-ever winner of the award named after O'Brien, a former Horned Frog.

3. Stetson Bennett, Georgia (+3000): In 2017, he was a Georgia walk-on; in 2018, a Juco transfer; in 2019-20, a Georgia back-up; in 2021, a national champion. And now, Bennett is Georgia's first Heisman finalist since 1992.

• Hometown: Blackshear, Georgia
• Stats: 3,425 passing yards (11th), 20 TD (t-42nd), 6 INT, 86.3 QBR (6th); 184 rushing yards, 7 TD
• Fun fact: Bennett, 25, is the same age as Lamar Jackson, who's currently in his fifth NFL season.

4. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (+5000): What a rise. From no scholarship offers as a high school junior to an explosive senior campaign that landed him in Columbus, where he set the NCAA freshman record last year with a 186.6 passer rating and led the Buckeyes to a CFP berth this year.

• Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
• Stats: 3,340 passing yards (15th), 37 TD (t-1st), 6 INT, 87.7 QBR (3rd); 74 rushing yards, 0 TD
• Fun fact: He's the first back-to-back Heisman finalist since Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson both did it in 2016-17.

Go deeper: The rest of college football's major awards were handed out Thursday night. See all the winners.

Four quarterfinal matchups. Four global superstars of the highest order.

• Player: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
• Age: 35
• World Cup goals: Nine career (three in Qatar)
• Club: PSG (France)
• IG followers: 385 million (2nd-most in the world)

• Player: Kylian Mbappé (France)
• Age: 23
• World Cup goals: Nine career (five in Qatar)
• Club: PSG (France)
• IG followers: 75.7 million (48th-most)

• Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
• Age: 37
• World Cup goals: Eight career (one in Qatar)
• Club: To be determined...
• IG followers: 510 million (most)

• Player: Neymar (Brazil)
• Age: 30
• World Cup goals: Seven career (one in Qatar)
• Club: PSG (France)
• IG followers: 190 million (20th-most)

Go deeper:

• The last stand of soccer's greatest generation (NYT)
• Mbappé is having a World Cup for the ages (FiveThirtyEight)

The World Cup quarterfinals begin today as seven of the world's top 12 teams — plus No. 22 Morocco — battle for a spot in the semifinals.

• Brazil vs. Croatia (Fri. 10am ET, Fox): Brazil is 2-0 head-to-head at the World Cup. BRA -295, CRO +750, per Caesars Sportsbook.
• Argentina vs. Netherlands (Fri. 2pm, Fox): Argentina leads 3-1 with a draw. ARG +119, NED +250.
• Portugal vs. Morocco (Sat. 10am, Fox): They're 1-1, including Portugal's win four years ago. POR -150, MOR +440.
• France vs. England (Sat. 2pm, Fox): England is 2-0, but this is their first World Cup meeting in 40 years. FRA +130, ENG +215.

More to watch:

• 🏈 NFL: Jets at Bills (Sun. 1pm, CBS); Vikings at Lions (Sun. 1pm, Fox); Eagles at Giants (Sun. 1pm, Fox); Bucs at 49ers (Sun. 4:25pm, Fox); Dolphins at Chargers (Sun. 8:20pm, NBC)
• 🏈 FBS: Army vs. Navy (Sat. 3pm, CBS) ... 123rd meeting in Philadelphia. Navy leads the all-time series 62-53-7.
• 🏈 FCS quarterfinals: No. 6 Samford at No. 3 North Dakota St. (Fri. 7pm, ESPN2); No. 5 William & Mary at No. 4 Montana St. (Fri. 10:15pm, ESPN2); No. 7 Incarnate Word at No. 2 Sacramento St. (Fri. 10:30pm, ESPN+); No. 8 Holy Cross at No. 1 South Dakota St. (Sat. 12pm, ESPN)
• 🏐 NCAA Volleyball: Elite Eight (Sat. 4-10pm, ESPNU)
• 🏀 NBA: Lakers at 76ers (Fri. 7:30pm, ESPN); Bucks at Mavericks (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Celtics at Warriors (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC)
• 🏒 NHL: Kings at Canadiens (Sat. 7pm, NHL); Avalanche at Blues (Sun. 3pm, ESPN); Bruins at Golden Knights (Sun. 8pm, NHL)
• 🏀 NCAAM: No. 8 Alabama at No. 1 Houston (Sat. 3pm, ABC); No. 10 Arizona at No. 14 Indiana (Sat. 7:30pm, Fox); No. 13 Maryland at No. 7 Tennessee (Sun. 4:30pm, FS1)
• 🏀 NCAAW: No. 6 UConn at No. 20 Maryland (Sun. 3pm, ABC)
• ⛳️ Golf: QBE Shootout (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC)
• 🏒 Women’s Hockey: Six PHF games (Fri.-Sun. ESPN+); PWHPA All-Star weekend (Sat-Sun, ESPN+)

Morocco is the fourth African country to reach a World Cup quarterfinal.

• Question: Who are the other three?
• Hint: They all lost.

Answer at the bottom.

Substitute players are having a greater impact than usual in Qatar thanks to a new rule allowing teams to make five subs per game, up from three at previous World Cups.

By the numbers: Subs have already scored 26 goals, six shy of the all-time record. They've scored or assisted on 29.5% of all goals, up from an average of 21% over the last three World Cups, per The Athletic ($).