Brittney Griner

2022 - 3 - 6

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Fears grow Russia could use US basketball star Brittney Griner as ... (The Guardian)

A Texas congresswoman has called for Russia to release Brittney Griner as fears grow Vladimir Putin could use the basketball star as a pawn during the war ...

Griner, a 6ft 9in center, is considered one of the best players in the world. Griner, like many of her fellow WNBA players, also competes in Russia during the league’s offseason. Lee said that Russia’s actions in Ukraine undermined their detention of Griner. “I don’t want to disregard a sovereign nation but Putin has disregarded sovereign nations his entire service in this world,” Lee said.

Brittney Griner: American women's basketball superstar detained in ... (The Guardian)

Brittney Griner, one of America's most decorated women's basketball players, has been detained by Russian Federal Customs Service authorities.

Griner matter-of-factly acknowledged that she was a lesbian only days after Phoenix made her the No 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft – becoming one of the few out athletes in American sports at the time and arguably the most prominent – and later revealed that she had been silenced about her sexuality by her college coach over fears that it would hurt recruiting. She has also been a trailblazer off the court in her own self-effacing style. The US president, Joe Biden, has condemned the invasion of Ukraine and pushed a raft of sanctions with other world leaders against Moscow, which he says have left Putin isolated. She remains the only NCAA basketball player in history, male or female, to record 2,000 points and 500 blocked shots. The WNBA said in a release that Griner has the league’s “full support” and “our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States”. In a statement to the Guardian, Griner’s agent Lindsay Colas said: “We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.

WNBA's Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges (The Sydney Morning Herald)

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was arrested last month at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges.

She last played for her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on January 29 before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments. “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.” The Russian Customs Service said on Saturday that the cartridges were identified as containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

WNBA star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges (Aljazeera.com)

Griner arrested in February at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said her luggage contained vape cartridges.

The customs service said the detained woman faces a potential jail term of five to 10 years. It added that an inspection of hand luggage carried by a US citizen who arrived on a flight from New York in February “confirmed the presence of ‘vapes’ (and) a liquid with a specific smell”. USA Basketball is aware of and closely monitoring the legal situation facing Brittney Griner in Russia. Brittney has always handled herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball and her safety and wellbeing are our primary concerns.

WNBA star Brittney Griner in custody in Russia after cannabis ... (ABC News)

Two-time Olympic gold medallist basketballer Brittney Griner faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison after being arrested at a Moscow airport.

It was not clear when in February Griner was detained. "We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA," Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said. WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been in custody in Russia for at least a week in the wake of officials at Moscow airport finding what they said was cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

Commenting on WNBA star Brittney Griner, Secretary of State ... (ESPN)

Reacting to WNBA star Brittney Griner being detained in Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will "provide every possible ...

"We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia," he added. Reacting to WNBA star Brittney Griner being detained in Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the United States will "provide every possible assistance" to citizens who are being held in foreign countries. "There's only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point," Blinken said of Griner. "Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia."