"Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for drug charges related to cannabis oil found in her luggage."

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing marijuana oil vape cartridges, which led to her detention, incarceration, and eventual release in a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil and hashish oil in her luggage, leading to a conviction for drug smuggling and a near 10-year prison sentence, highlighting the intersection of sports, gender, and politics in her case.

"Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis vape cartridges and was later released via a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout after being sentenced to nine years in prison."

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing Hashish oil cartridges, which led to her detention and subsequent trial.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for possessing cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February 2022.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022 after being found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Sheremetyevo airport.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia, specifically in Moscow, in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022 after being arrested at Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil.

"Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 after being arrested at a Moscow airport for possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, and was later released as part of a prisoner swap."

Brittney Griner, the American basketball player, was released from Russian prison in December 2022 after being detained for 294 days, as part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison on December 8, 2022, after being detained for marijuana possession and later exchanged as part of a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison in December 2022.

Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison on December 8, 2022, as part of a prisoner swap agreement between the United States and Russia, in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison in December 2022 as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by the US.

The US State Department, under the Biden administration, determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia, leading to concentrated efforts for her release through prisoner swap negotiations.

The Biden administration determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Biden administration determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Biden administration, through National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, declared that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Biden administration, through the U.S. State Department, determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, which led to her detention and subsequent imprisonment in Russia.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, leading to her detention and eventual exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabinoid oil, a substance found in her luggage, and spent 294 days in Russian custody before being released.

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country, highlighting the intersection of sports, gender issues, and politics.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015, earning up to a million dollars per season.

Brittney Griner plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA off-season.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia after vape cartridges with cannabis oil were found in her luggage at the Moscow airport.

Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for possessing vaping cartridges with cannabis oil, leading to a nine-year sentence, but was later released in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner was found with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at Moscow's airport, which led to her conviction and imprisonment.

Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, specifically in vape cartridges, which led to her arrest and detention in Russia.

Brittney Griner was found with cannabis oil and vape cartridges in her luggage at a Moscow airport, leading to her arrest and later exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury team.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury, as indicated by her own statement about feeling great wearing a Phoenix jersey again after her return from imprisonment in Russia.

Viktor Bout was serving a 25-year sentence in the US for conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation before being released in exchange for Brittney Griner.

Viktor Bout was serving a 25-year sentence in the US when he was exchanged for Brittney Griner as part of a prisoner swap.

Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the US after being convicted of supplying weapons to violent insurgents.

Viktor Bout is serving a 25-year sentence in the US for conspiring to sell weapons to people posing as terrorists.

Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in the US for supporting terrorism and conspiring to kill Americans.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport in Russia on February 17, after agents found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, in February 2022, for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport, also referred to as Moscow airport, in Russia due to cannabis oil possession.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia at Sheremetyevo airport, specifically Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, due to allegations of possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, which she had in her e-cigarette case at Moscow airport.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing hashish oil, specifically vaping cartridges containing the substance, and was later released in a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing vape cartridges with hashish oil.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, also referred to as hashish oil, in e-cigarette boxes in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, and after being incarcerated, she was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was facing a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for a drug-related offense in Russia.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of 10 years for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years in Russia for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of 10 years for smuggling drugs into Russia.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years for drug charges in Russia.

The WNBA has announced its support for Brittney Griner, prioritizing her safe return to the United States.

The WNBA has announced its support for Brittney Griner, with the priority of getting her back home safely and quickly.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed optimism about a potential prisoner swap, stating there's always a chance for it to happen.

Brittney Griner is advocating for Paul Whelan, asking her supporters to write letters to him and continue to advocate for other Americans who are wrongfully detained.

Trevor Reed, a former US marine, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal in April.

Trevor Reed, an American citizen, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine, was released from a Russian prison in April as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Trevor Reed, a US citizen, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal in exchange for a Russian pilot.

Trevor Reed, a former US Marine, was released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Jake Sullivan stated that Brittney Griner was being wrongly detained in Russia, as mentioned in a statement released through the White House.

Brittney Griner received global support during her detention in Russia.

"Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for drug charges related to cannabis oil found in her luggage."

Title:

Content: Brittney Griner is ‘OK’ Despite Russian Extended Detention for Drug Charge

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  • Brittney Griner is “OK”Insider heard from a source that the Russian jail was holding him, even though he was not in it.
  • The WNBA star has met with her legal team “multiple times a week,”Source added
  • Russia announced that Griner’s imprisonment would be extended to May on Friday.

Brittney Griner — the WNBA superstar who has been held in Russia for several weeks — is doing “OK”Insider was told by a source familiar with the situation that Russian prisoners are being held in Russian prisons.

Since February 17, Russian agents took custody of the 6-foot-9 center. They claimed that she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Insider has heard from a source who said that Griner’s had been in custody for the center since February 17th, when agents at Sheremetyevo airport claimed she found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. “Russian legal team has seen her multiple times a week.”

Griner was handcuffed at a Moscow court one month after her arrest. This was as her legal team challenged her ongoing detention.

Insider was told by a source that Griner’s legal team approached the hearing on Thursday “with the hopes of having Brittney transferred to house arrest.” Instead, the court ruled that the two-time Olympic gold medalist must remain in custody until at least May 19 — a decision that “was not unexpected,”According to the source.

The person — who is familiar with Griner’s legal circumstances but spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for Griner’s continued safety — stressed that Thursday’s proceedings were “not a hearing on the merits”She was convicted of a drug-related offense and is facing a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment.

“The investigation is still ongoing,”According to the source. “Once it has concluded, a trial date will be set. Until then, the court extends detention by periods of time.”

“If the investigation is not finished, the May hearing is to contemplate how much longer the court needs to extend,”They were also added.

Russian media outlet TASSGriner complained Thursday that her only grievance while in captivity is that the beds in her jail cell were too small for Griner, who stands 6’9″. Griner shares a cell in which she is confined with two other inmates who both speak English and have assisted her to navigate the situation.

Griner had been traveling to Russia in the days preceding her arrest to play for European powerhouse club UMMC Ekaterinburg. She’d done this every WNBA offseason since 2014.

Around half of WNBA athletes travel abroad in winter to play. Their relatively low salaries can be supplementedFrom the domestic league. Stars can earn significantly more abroad than they could in the States, and Griner is a prime example of this pay gap.

The seven-time WNBA All-Star is expected to bring home a trophy this year. League-maximum base salary of $227,900From the Phoenix Mercury. She’s eligible to earn more through bonuses and marketing opportunities if her stay in the US is for the winter. According to reports, she is paid $1 million per season by the UMMC Ekaterinburg. Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic.

This two-season-per year lifestyle is not ideal, even under normal circumstances. Griner, an athlete, often finds themselves with nagging injuries and rapid wear and tear that can hinder their professional careers.

But during moments of international crisis — like the early days of the pandemic or right now, as Russia wages war in Ukraine — WNBA players taking on second jobs overseas becomes all the more perilous. Griner could be a collateral victim of the fiery feud between the two superpowers due to the rapidly changing relationship between her country and her off-season home.

Antony Blinken Secretary of State said that the US is prepared to deal with any situation geopolitical. “provide every possible assistance”Griner and other detained citizens abroad per ESPN

“There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point,”Griner was mentioned by Blinken. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.”

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing marijuana oil vape cartridges, which led to her detention, incarceration, and eventual release in a prisoner swap.

Title:

Content: Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner arrives in San Antonio after 10 months in Russian custody

Griner was transported to Brook Army Medical Center's reintegration center upon her arrival.

click to enlarge
Instagram / brittneyyevettegriner
WNBA star Brittney Griner spent 294 days in Russian custody after customs officials in Moscow allegedly discovered vape canisters containing cannabinoid oil in her luggage.
WNBA star Brittney Griner touched down at San Antonio’s former Kelly Air Force base early Friday morning after 10 months in Russian custody, according to media reports.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was smiling as she stepped off the plane at 4:30 a.m., the Express-News reports. Following her arrival, she was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center’s reintegration facility, where she will receive any necessary medical treatment.

Medical experts from UT Health San Antonio told KSAT that Griner also may undergo extensive mental health evaluations.

In February, Griner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after customs officials allegedly found vape canisters continuing cannabinoid oil in her luggage. In August, she pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony. She spent 294 days in Russian custody, according to the daily.

The basketball star was released in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia on Thursday, in which the Biden administration handed over notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

In a statement, Griner's family offered “sincere gratitude” to President Joe Biden and his administration for their efforts in bringing her home, according to the Express-News. It is unclear how long Griner will be in San Antonio before returning home to her family.

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Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil and hashish oil in her luggage, leading to a conviction for drug smuggling and a near 10-year prison sentence, highlighting the intersection of sports, gender, and politics in her case.

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Russian court sentences Brittney Griner to 9 years, raising pressure on Biden

A Russian court Thursday sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in a penal colony after convicting her on a drug charge, a harsh penalty that keeps her fate entwined with the geopolitical showdown over the war in Ukraine and ramps up already intense pressure on President Joe Biden to win her release.

The U.S. government contends that she is among several Americans who have been “wrongfully detained” by Russia, used as bargaining chips in the increasingly hostile relationship between Moscow and Washington. The Biden administration has offered a prisoner swap involving Griner, but Russian officials said it was premature to discuss a deal while her case was underway.

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Now that the trial is concluded, Biden faces a difficult choice between standing firm on his proposal to trade for Griner and another American, Paul Whelan, or sweetening the offer somehow, with either position liable to draw domestic criticism.

Meanwhile the Kremlin can use them as leverage, with no incentive to resolve the cases quickly. Griner’s supporters, voicing horror at the verdict and sentence, are clamoring for the president to do something, while the administration is wary of giving in to Russian tactics it has all but labeled blackmail.

“My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible,” Biden said in a statement after the verdict.

Griner, 31, one of her sport’s biggest global stars, sat mostly expressionless, eyes downcast, leaning her long frame toward the bars of the defendant’s box in a cramped courtroom outside Moscow to hear as the words of the judge, Anna Sotnikova, were quietly translated for her. She had already pleaded guilty, and conviction is all but certain in Russian courts, so the verdict was a foregone conclusion; the real question was about sentencing.

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The answer was devastating. The sentence was near the 10-year maximum for her conviction for attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country, based on two vape cartridges containing hashish oil found in Griner’s luggage when she arrived in February, a week before President Vladimir Putin sent Russian forces to Ukraine.

She and her legal team had hoped for a more lenient penalty based on her guilty plea, her statement that she had not meant to take the cartridges to Russia, and testimony that she used the substance legally in the United States to manage pain.

“I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here,” she said before the sentencing.

She told the court that while she took responsibility for her actions, “I had no intent to break Russian law.” She said that after recovering from a bout of COVID, she had packed hurriedly to rejoin the Russian team she plays for in the WNBA offseason, and had accidentally left the cartridges in her luggage.

Griner’s defense team called the ruling “absolutely unreasonable,” said the court had “completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea,” and vowed to appeal. Elizabeth Rood, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, attended the court session and called the result “a miscarriage of justice.”

Russian officials have insisted that Griner’s case is simply the justice system running its course, with no political overtones — a claim that their U.S. counterparts and many Western analysts dismissed as absurd.

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William Pomeranz, a Russia expert and acting director of the Kennan Institute, a research group in Washington, noted that Griner was sentenced not to a prison but to a penal colony, which tends to mean a more remote location — many are in Siberia — and harsher conditions.

“She’s probably going to go to a penal colony that’s in the middle of Russia where she won’t know anybody,” he added. “They won’t be able to come and visit. Penal colonies can sometimes be very severe. It will be a tremendous test of her mental state if she ends up going to a penal colony.”

The United States has few options, he said. “It will just depend on the Russians and how fast they want to make a deal.”

Fellow basketball players, male and female, and basketball executives took to social media to voice support for Griner and grief at the verdict. Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, said in a statement: “We remain heartbroken for her, as we have every day for nearly six months. We remain grateful to and confident in the public servants working every day to return her to her family and us.”

With Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the indiscriminate destruction it has caused, relations between Washington and Moscow are more confrontational and bitter than they have been in decades. The United States has rallied the West to send arms and other aid to Ukraine, and to punish Moscow with economic sanctions, looking for opportunities to ratchet up the pressure.

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The two sides have made prisoner exchanges before, most recently in April, when Russia released Trevor Reed, an American held on what his family said was a bogus assault charge, in return for a Russian pilot convicted in the United States of cocaine trafficking charges. But rarely have proposed swaps come amid such tension, or involved anyone as prominent as Griner.

In a sign of how high the stakes are for Washington, Griner’s fate was among the topics discussed last Friday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, in their first direct conversation since before the invasion.

The Biden administration has offered to trade Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence for a 2011 conviction on a federal charge of conspiring to sell weapons to people posing as terrorists intent on killing Americans. Whelan, detained in Russia since 2018, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years.

Russia made an unspecified “bad faith” counteroffer, the White House said Monday, which U.S. officials said they did not consider serious.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters Thursday, “I don’t think it would be helpful to Brittney or to Paul for us to talk more publicly about where we are in the talks and what the president might or might not be willing to do.”

“Conversations are ongoing at various levels,” he added.

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If Biden sticks to his initial offer, he could face accusations of not doing enough.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and other supporters have mounted an effective public campaign to pressure the president to win her release. Supporters worry about her treatment in a country where anti-American and anti-gay vitriol are deeply embedded in popular views and official propaganda. Images of a grim-faced Griner being led, handcuffed, in and out of court, towering over her armed guards, have become commonplace in U.S. and international media.

The administration could make a more attractive offer, but U.S. officials already worry that deals for prisoners could encourage hostile foreign governments to detain Americans on trumped-up charges in exchange for concessions like freeing their own wrongdoers. Some Republicans have already complained that Biden’s existing offer creates such an incentive.

A 6-foot-9 center, Griner won a college national championship with Baylor in 2012, a WNBA championship with the Mercury in 2014, Olympic gold medals with the U.S. team at the 2016 and 2020 games, and four EuroLeague championships with the Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg. Like many players in the WNBA, where salaries are much lower than in the NBA, Griner — who also played one season for a professional team in China — has played overseas to supplement her income.

"Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis vape cartridges and was later released via a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout after being sentenced to nine years in prison."

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Content: MadameNoire Featured Video

Source: Mike Mattina / Getty

Brittney Griner’s new chapter of freedom following her release from a Russian penal colony includes a new change in her appearance.

Footage of the 6-foot-9 WNBA star showed Griner returning to the U.S. from Russia without her torso-length locs.

A source close to the Pheonix Mercury player told Insider that the 32-year-old basketball star decided to cut her hair to avoid the impacts of Russia’s brutal winters.

More context provided by the outlet and ESPN’s TJ Quinn highlighted that Russian authorities were holding Griner in a facility with limited heat and hot water and that the WNBA felt especially cold after washing her locs.

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Brittney Griner’s Locs And Release

Griner’s Russian attorney, Maria Blagovolina, told ESPN that the athlete presumed she’d stay in Russia for the long haul.

That said, Griner’s big chop was prompted by the athlete wanting to make her life easier.

“She should have waited until New Year’s Day,” Blagovolina stated.

“She had honestly no complaints,” the attorney added, reflecting on Griner’s life in the penal colony. “Things could have been much worse.”

President Biden said on Dec. 8 that securing Griner’s release took “painstaking and intense negotiations.”

“This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time,” he expressed. “We never stopped pushing for her release.”

Griner was released via a prisoner swap for Russian Arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The athlete was detained in Russia since February after being apprehended at a Moscow airport for having cannabis vape cartridges in her possession.

Griner later pled guilty and was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison. While the athlete chopped off her locs out of presumed necessity, the act often symbolizes a new beginning for those who’ve grown their hair for such a long time.

We wish Griner and her family the best as they transition into her latest chapter, one of freedom.

RELATED CONTENT: “People Who Are Big Mad Brittney Griner Is Free Don’t Value Black Women”

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Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in 2022 for possessing Hashish oil cartridges, which led to her detention and subsequent trial.

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VSU Coach Among Black Women Showing Support For Griner

By Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal and Guide

A group of over 1,200-plus Black women leaders of various religious, political, and social backgrounds, are calling on President Joseph R. Biden’s to ramp up efforts to free WNBA star Brittney Griner from detainment in Russia.

In a letter to Biden and Vice President Harris, the #WinWithBlackWomen collective urged the administration to “make a deal to get Brittney back home swiftly and safely and to meet with Brittney’s wife Cherelle immediately.”

The signatories include multiple WNBA players, WNBA Players Association Executive Director Terri Jackson, and several university coaches, including Nadine Domond, head coach for women’s basketball at Virginia State University, who also signed the letter.

Domond was recently interviewed on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “All Things Considered” by host Juana Summers.

Summers asked Domond, who is a friend of Griner, about her reaction to what was happening during her trial and imprisonment in Russia.

“Heartbroken. She could be sentenced to up 10 years in a Russian prison,” Domond said. “That’s tough. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So, I’m just keeping her in my prayers, to give her the strength and the courage and the wisdom as she walks through this – you know, this valley. So many other supporters are just with her in spirit, trying to make sure she’s OK.”

Summer asked, “Why do you think it has not gotten enough attention?”

“Because I think for many people, it’s like, what do you mean? She’s overseas” Domond said.

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“What is she doing overseas? Why is she going overseas? So, there are so many unanswered questions that many average Americans want to know.”

Two weeks ago, Griner, during the second phase of her trial admitted guilt to the charges. She said she was packing, hurriedly and did not intend to include the Hashish Smokeless cartridges in her baggage or break Russians laws.

On July 15 Griner presented a doctor’s letter recommending medical cannabis treatment to a Russian court.

Griner, the Gay, superstar female star of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), has been in a Russian jail for over four months.

The six-foot-nine center for the Phoenix Mercury helped the team earn a championship in 2014. She has two gold Olympic medals to her name. Griner was jailed for carrying used Hashish oil cartridges in one of her bags as she was attempted to leave Russia back in February.

“People don’t know that many former WNBA players or WNBA players work year-round,” Domond continued. “She is going to Russia to make another living, to continue her living. And to be detained on something that – to me, I don’t know their rules, but I know Brittney wouldn’t do anything to break the law on purpose. I know Brittney wouldn’t do anything to step outside the boundaries of what is expected of her.”

Read the entire story in New Journal and Guide.

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Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for possessing cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case.

Title:

Content: WNBA star Greiner: It's good to be home
^ "American" Brittney Griner ".
(Photo / Reuters)
News / Central News Agency, Washington, 16.
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner, released by Russia, said today for the first time that it is "good to be home" and vowed to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.
Greiner posted a message on Instagram thanking a long list of people who helped her release, including “special thanks ” to President Joe Biden.
"I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury this season," Greiner said.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport on February 17 for carrying cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling.
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Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February 2022.

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Inside Joe Biden’s Faustian pact with Russia to secure Brittney

Three weeks ago, the American basketball star Brittney Griner arrived at a Russian penal colony known for torture, beatings and slave labour to begin a nine-year sentence following her arrest at a Moscow airport in February for possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil.

But in a stunning twist on Thursday, Griner’s plight as an unwitting pawn in a high-stakes geopolitical struggle came to an abrupt end, as she arrived in Abu Dhabi from Moscow and boarded a plane home to reunite with her family. She landed in San Antonio, Texas, early Friday morning.

In exchange for Griner’s release, the US released Viktor Bout, a notorious arms trafficker who was serving a 25-year sentence for conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation.

The deal was met with jubilation from Griner’s family and supporters. But the controversial swap for Bout — as well as the exclusion of Paul Whelan, another US citizen imprisoned in Russia — also drew criticism and raised questions about how America’s adversaries might leverage arrests of its citizens in the future.

US officials began working toward Griner’s release as soon as she was apprehended in Russia in February, but the effort became more concentrated on prisoner swap negotiations once the State Department declared in May that she had been wrongfully detained.

In July, US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on the phone for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. During the call, Blinken pressed Lavrov to accept a “substantial proposal” from Washington to release Griner and the former marine Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018 on what the US and his family say are trumped-up espionage charges.

Americans had offered to free Bout, people familiar with the discussions said, but the Russians said they also wanted the release of Vadim Krasikov, a former colonel from Russia’s domestic spy agency who was convicted of murder in Germany last year.

In the ensuing months, officials said, Washington made a number of offers to Russia in an attempt to secure the release of Griner and Whelan.

However, Biden administration officials said that in recent weeks it became clear that Moscow would only accept a one-for-one swap. According to one senior administration official, “the choice was bringing Brittney Griner home right now or bringing no Americans home from Russia right now”.

Despite the Biden administration’s insistence that they had no choice but to exclude Whelan from the deal, Republican lawmakers and others denounced the decision, as well as facilitating the release of Bout, who is also known as “the merchant of death”.

“The Biden administration has allowed Viktor Bout, a dangerous arms dealer who was convicted of conspiring to kill American law enforcement, to walk free,” said Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

“This move to appease Vladimir Putin will only encourage further hostage taking by Russian security forces,” he added.

US officials described Biden’s choice as a painful one, adding that they would continue to work for Whelan’s release. Washington previously secured the release of Trevor Reed, another former marine, via a prisoner swap in April.

People familiar with Thursday’s prisoner exchange likened the episode to “a scene from the Cold War”, with Russian and American planes meeting on the tarmac at an airport in Abu Dhabi.

The Russian plane carrying Griner arrived first, one of the people said. American officials and people familiar with the events said the basketball star was upbeat on the tarmac, saying she was looking forward to returning home.

The Griner-Bout swap marks a rare instance in which the US and Russia have been able to find common ground since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sending the west’s relationship with Moscow to its lowest ebb since the Cuban missile crisis.

According to people familiar with the matter, the Americans and Russians directly negotiated the details of the swaps, with UAE officials including president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan helping to facilitate the mechanics of the transfer.

It is not unusual for third countries to aid in brokering international diplomatic agreements such as prisoner swaps between hostile countries.

Sheikh Mohammed and Putin discussed the matter when they met in Russia in October, and they spoke on the phone on Wednesday, people familiar with the meetings said. Yousef al-Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US, was present for the exchange on Thursday and had helped to co-ordinate details on the American side.

On Thursday, some pro-Kremlin commentators hailed the swap as a return to diplomacy. “Everyone sees through this exchange that Moscow and Washington are holding secret negotiations and can make a deal,” Sergei Markov, a political scientist and former member of Russia’s parliament, wrote on Telegram. “And everyone hopes that means Moscow and Washington can make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.”

However, analysts and US officials said that while the breakthrough was a sign that the two sides could get things done when their interests align, it was not evidence of any larger thaw in relations. Biden administration officials added that the recent conversations with Russia about Griner and other prisoners were limited to the release of wrongfully detained Americans.

“The exchange doesn’t do anything to change the situation for bilateral relations. There are lots of issues where they are in open confrontation,” said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

He said the otherwise dire state of relations between Russia and the west was thrown into sharp relief last week, when Moscow abruptly pulled out of talks on renewing the New Start treaty, the only remaining agreement governing the countries’ nuclear arsenals.

“This is a global stability issue: the last remainders of arms control are falling apart, which could lead to an arms race and a higher risk of dangerous incidents,” he said. “The trajectory we’re on is making that all the more likely.”

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Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022, for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.

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U.S. basketball star detained in Russia for months, Blinken speaks to family
2022 / 6 / 23 15: 49
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for months, and a coalition of human rights groups today urged President Joe Biden and Russia to "reach an agreement" to secure her release, and Secretary of State Colin Blinken also spoke to Griner's wife today.
WNBA player Griner, who won two Olympic gold medals for the United States, was detained at a Moscow airport on February 17 after being charged with carrying several e-cigarette boxes containing cannabis oil in his luggage. The maximum sentence is 10 years in prison.
A Russian court last week extended her pre-trial detention to July 2.
Senior State Department officials said Antony Blinken spoke with Greiner ’ s same-sex wife, Cherelle Griner, this evening, but did not disclose details.
The State Department said yesterday that Mr. Greiner had not been able to speak to his wife as scheduled over the weekend because of logistical problems exacerbated by Russia ’ s restrictions on the U.S. Embassy ’ s operations in Moscow.
Forty advocacy groups, including the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Defamation League (GLAAD), have praised the Biden administration ’ s efforts, including in May when it said the 31-year-old Greiner had been “wrongly detained ” and assigned diplomats to handle his release.
But they say more needs to be done.
Reuters reviewed the groups ’ letters to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, which read: “The U.S. government categorizes Britney as wrongfully detained and acknowledges that she is essentially a political pawn. ”
“While these are vital measures, we now urge you to reach an agreement so that Britney can return to the United States safely and immediately. ”
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told Reuters the government was looking at ways to secure Greiner ’ s release.
"President Biden has made it clear that it is necessary to see all U.S. nationals held as hostages or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Greiner," Watson said in an email.
“The United States Government continues to make vigorous efforts to try to bring her back using all available methods. ” (Translator: Lee Pei-shan / Authored by: Chan Cheng-yi) 1110623
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Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17, 2022.

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Court Upholds Conviction of Brittney Griner as WNBA Star Faces Years of Prison Time in Russia

Brittney Griner

A court in Russia rejected on Tuesday incarcerated WBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal of her 9-year prison sentence for carrying a small amount of hashish oil.

The court did rule to recalculate Griner’s prison sentence based on her pre-trial detention, according to The Associated Press. For every one day in custody before trial, she will get credited for 1.5 days in prison. That reportedly means she will spend about eight years in prison.

Griner, 32, is currently at a penal colony outside of Moscow, according to the AP.

She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17. She reportedly had less than a gram of cannabis oil inside vape canisters in her luggage. Griner, a center for the WBA’s Phoenix Mercury, had been returning to Russia, where she played in the offseason.

She reportedly testified that she did have the canisters in her luggage, but she said she did not mean to bring them. She packed them by accident, in a rush, Griner said.

The defense, which said Griner was prescribed the hashish oil to treat pain, had called the 9-year sentence excessive, adding that people in similar cases received an average of five years behind bars. A third of the defendants got parole, the defense argued.

Critics of the Russian regime say Moscow is only using Griner as a bargaining chip in international relations. She was arrested just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement released through the White House. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel and make every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan. The President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his Administration has done successfully from countries around the world. The Administration remains in regular touch with representatives of the families, and we continue to admire their courage in the face of these unimaginable circumstances.”

The Biden administration has offered to release convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the releases of both Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine convicted in an espionage case. The U.S. State Department spokesman said Whelan was “wrongfully detained,” according to CNN.

“There is such a human side to BG that a lot of people on the outside don’t know,” former USA Basketball head coach Dawn Staley told ESPN in a recent profile for Griner’s Oct. 18 birthday. “I wish that a lot of people were able to see that and could express themselves with the honesty that Brittney does.”

Staley coached Griner as part of the gold medal-winning US teams in the 2018 FIBA World Cup and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Brianna Turner, a teammate on the Mercury, recalled joining teammates in a visit to Griner and Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner’s home.

“We played with their dogs, watched TV and reminisced more about our season,” she told ESPN. “BG nonchalantly had her most recent Olympic gold medal laying out on her coffee table, and I made sure to take a selfie with it as if I had just won gold and was standing on a podium. But that’s just the type of person BG is: humble and welcoming to those around her. I hold on so hard to those memories of that evening. It’s wild to think that I last saw her in person a year ago; her birthday is obviously so different this time around. I was able to send her a letter, though, and hopefully she will receive it on birthday. So many people that don’t personally know BG have so many various opinions about her. But I can honestly say BG is probably the warmest person I know. Her energy is infectious, and she is the first person willing to help someone in need.”

[Image via EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP]

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Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022 after being found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Sheremetyevo airport.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia, specifically in Moscow, in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil.

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Content: Sports
2023-06-26 12: 59: 18
A former Russian female basketball player will play in the WNBA Star Game.
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Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who has been imprisoned in Russia for 10 months, will play next month ’ s WNBA All-Star Game.
The 32-year-old basketball player was released from Russia to the United States six months ago.
In February last year, before Russia invaded Ukraine, he was detained in Moscow for allegedly possessing cannabis oil.
He was released earlier this year by a “prisoner exchange ” between Russia and the United States.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, after returning to the United States, once again played for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA club, this year has played nine games for the Mercury since May, and is confirmed to be selected for the WNBA Star Game to be held in Las Vegas next month.
Greiner currently leads the WNBA in blocking, averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
This will be the ninth time Greiner has been selected to the star team eight times in the past. She was also selected as an honorary player last year, but she was still imprisoned in Russia and could not play.
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Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022 after being arrested at Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil.

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Content: WNBA star Greiner: It's good to be home
^ "American" Brittney Griner ".
(Photo / Reuters)
News / Central News Agency, Washington, 16.
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner, released by Russia, said today for the first time that it is "good to be home" and vowed to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.
Greiner posted a message on Instagram thanking a long list of people who helped her release, including “special thanks ” to President Joe Biden.
"I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury this season," Greiner said.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport on February 17 for carrying cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling.
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"Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 after being arrested at a Moscow airport for possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, and was later released as part of a prisoner swap."

Brittney Griner, the American basketball player, was released from Russian prison in December 2022 after being detained for 294 days, as part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

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Content: Breaking

WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From Russian Captivity in Prisoner Swap

Months after being sentenced to 9 years in prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention and is "on her way home," President Joe Biden shared on Dec. 8.

By Jess Cohen, Emlyn Travis Dec 08, 2022 1:33 PMTags
Watch: Brittney Griner: Russia Ready to Discuss Prisoner Swap

After months of heartache, Brittney Griner is officially free.

The WNBA star has been released after 294 days in Russian captivity, a senior administration official announced on Dec. 8. Griner—who was found guilty on drug charges by a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in prison in August—was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was 11 years into a 25 year sentence.

Per the official, President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the UAE. American businessman Paul Whelan was not included in the deal.

"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner," the president tweeted Dec. 8 alongside photos of Brittney's wife Cherelle Griner and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."

This news comes nearly a year after the Phoenix Mercury center, who plays for a Russian team during the off-season, was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.

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Stars Arrested Fighting for a Cause

She was later charged with smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors or analogues, and with illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, manufacture, processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues. During her trial on July 7, Brittney pled guilty to all of the charges but said that she did not act deliberately.

Instagram

"My parents taught me two important things," Brittney told the court through tears following closing arguments on Aug. 4. "Take ownership for your responsibilities and work hard for everything that you have. That's why I plead guilty to my charges. I understand the charges against me. I had no intent to break any Russian laws. I want the courts to understand it was an honest mistake."

She continued, "I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to break any Russian laws. I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here."

Brittney had previously testified that she was legally prescribed medical marijuana by a doctor in the United States. She said she was going through airport security when a member of staff asked her to open her bag, which led to the discovery of the cartridges, per NBC News. After signing documents that she wasn't able to understand without Google Translate, the basketball player was able to call a lawyer before her phone was confiscated.

"At that point it felt like I was being held against my will," she said, according to the outlet. "I asked again what's going on and when can I see my lawyer. I was then told I have to be interrogated."

Instagram

Brittney's legal team later told E! News in a statement that they were "very disappointed" by the court's decision and planned to file an appeal.

"As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality," they shared. "The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea. This contradicts the existing legal practice. Taking into account the amount of the substance (not to mention the defects of the expertise) and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal."

Biden also shared his disappointment. "Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," he said in a statement. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."

The president kept in touch with Brittney and wrote her a letter shortly after the athlete sent an open letter to the White House, which arrived on July 4.

During a July 28 press conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared that the administration had "put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate" the release of Brittney and Whelan, per NBC News. "Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal, and I'll use the conversation to follow up personally and, I hope, move us toward a resolution."

Throughout her time in prison, Brittney has received steadfast support from her wife Cherelle as well as fellow athletes including Stephen Curry, Megan Rapinoe and more.

"I have to walk the fine line of harm versus help when it comes to my wife right now," Cherelle told CBS Mornings on July 5. "So, as much as I want to advocate for her and push for our governments to do everything, I also have to take into account that she's in a position where she could be harmed also, by any and everything I do, and so, it's a thin line to walk."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App

Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison on December 8, 2022, after being detained for marijuana possession and later exchanged as part of a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison in December 2022.

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WNBA / Green, imprisoned by Russia, re-signed to Phoenix Mercury after being released
The Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA announced today that Brittney Griner, who was jailed in Russia for nearly 10 months last year, has signed a one-year contract with the team.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters reported that Greiner once again joined Mercury, who had won the title under her leadership in 2014.
Greiner played more than nine seasons in the WNBA before she was imprisoned in Russia last year.
After being released from prison in December, Greiner said she plans to return to the WNBA and play for Mercury again.
“This is a great day for all of us, ” said Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman,“ to announce that Greiner has officially signed a contract to play for Mercury in 2023. ”
“We miss her every day when she ’ s not there. Basketball is not what we care about. Her presence on the court, in our locker room, around our organization and in our community is something we miss. ”
The 32-year-old has helped the U.S. women ’ s basketball team win gold medals at the Tokyo and Rio Olympics and was selected for the WNBA All-Star Game eight times.
She was arrested at an airport outside Moscow on February 17 last year for cannabis oil in an e-cigarette case in her luggage. She was convicted of drug smuggling and handed over to one of Russia ’ s most notorious detention centers.
"We will continue to use the resources of our organization to support her on and off the court, and we are excited to return to her beloved basketball career," Pittman said.
"This is a very special signing and today is a special day for all of us."
Greiner previously played for Mercury in 2021, when she helped the team reach the WNBA Finals and lost to the Chicago Sky.
Mercury ’ s 2023 season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19, followed by its first game at home on May 21, will pay tribute to Greene ’ s return before facing the Chicago Sky.
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Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison on December 8, 2022, as part of a prisoner swap agreement between the United States and Russia, in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Title:

Content: US releases Brittney Griner in exchange for 'king of arms'
Author: Zhang Yuejing
Published: Updated:
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner was released on December 8 following a prisoner swap agreement between the United States and Russia.
On the same day, the United States handed over Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who had been serving a prison sentence in the United States, to Russia at Abu Dhabi Airport in exchange for her return home.
Due to the extreme asymmetry of the two crimes, the transfer of the infamous Bolt to Russia has caused the United States to be highly controversial.
The US media reported on the 8th that Bolt, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death ”, had worked as a military translator in the former Soviet army and became an arms dealer.
He has been accused by the United Nations of sending large quantities of weapons to various African countries in the 1990s and 2000s, and has been accused of trading with al-Qaeda, which is one of the most wanted in the world.
Bot denied all of the above allegations.
Bot was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 after a US agent posing as a terrorist tricked him into an arms deal.
He was extradited to the United States to serve a 14-year prison sentence before being released on charges of conspiring to kill a U.S. citizen and attempting to sell weapons to a terrorist organization.
During this period, Russia repeatedly sought to release Bolt, and the United States carefully planned to capture him, which seems to have added to the important value of Bolt.
Viktor Bout, an arms dealer who left a Bangkok criminal court in August 2009 and was escorted back to prison, once made a winning gesture. (AP)
Bolt is said to have worked in the Russian intelligence service, supplying weapons around the world and funding Moscow, and is said to have served alongside senior officials who are now close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Experts who interviewed Bolt revealed that he speaks multiple languages, is mysterious, talkative and attractive, and can talk endlessly about the list of dignitaries with whom he has a personal relationship.
After his arrest, he repeatedly claimed his innocence.
Bot is well known in Russia, or has been heroically portrayed.
He was also featured in the 2005 Hollywood film Lord of War.
Expert analysis said that this prisoner exchange appears to be a victory for Putin.

Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison in December 2022 as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by the US.

Title:

Content: ‘She brings light’: Brittney Griner’s triumphant return to the WNBA

Prior to being detained in a Russian prison for 294 days, Brittney Griner was on top of the world.

The 32-year-old was coming off one of the best WNBA seasons of her career. She was the Most Valuable Player runner-up, averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Phoenix Mercury, who she led back to the WNBA finals for the first time since winning the title in 2014. Meanwhile, Griner was on her way to play for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg, who she had led to four EuroLeague titles since she started spending her WNBA off-seasons there in 2014.

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At the time of her arrest Griner was, according to the testimony of her Russian teammate Evgenia Belyakova, “the most beloved player in Russia.”

To become such a popular figure in both America and Russia is no easy task for a gay, Black woman. But Griner’s ascent was never easy. She was bullied relentlessly growing up, first for her size and later for her sexuality, becoming one of the first active athletes in professional North American sports to come out as gay, shortly after being drafted No 1 overall by the Mercury in 2013.

In her first game as a pro, the 6ft 9in Griner towered over her opponents, changing the perceptions of what a female basketball player was capable of when she set a WNBA record with two dunks in a game. Griner went on to win a WNBA title, two Olympic gold medals, and seven WNBA All-Star appearances, on pace to achieve a level of greatness few ever have in the women’s game, and being marketed accordingly.

In fact, Griner was the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike. And the WNBA used her at the center of its marketing, acknowledging that gay athletes and LGBTQ+ activists like Griner were good for business.

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So when it all came crashing down at a Moscow airport on 17 February 2022, when Griner was found with vape cartridges containing traces of hashish oil in her luggage, not only did her career come to a screeching halt, but the league that she had been bound to since 2013 lost some of its forward momentum, too. She was later sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

As much as Griner tried to stay positive, and as much as the WNBA community tried to help, a cloud hung over the entire 2022 season – one that would not dissipate until Griner was released and returned to America.

“Last year, it felt as though we couldn’t play with joy … It felt bad for us to be happy or to celebrate things because the weight of BG’s wrongful detainment weighed over us,” says former Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard.

When the US negotiated a prisoner swap to secure Griner’s freedom last December, she almost immediately announced her intention to return to the WNBA in 2023, signing a one-year deal with the Mercury. But nobody knew what to expect from Griner, who had spent almost a year under arduous physical and mental conditions.

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But, against all odds, Griner appears to be back to her normal self, on and off the court.

Related: WNBA power lies with two superteams. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing

In her first WNBA game in 579 days, Griner had 18 points, six rebounds and four blocks in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. In her first home game a couple of days later, she hit just the seventh three-pointer of her career, yelling “I’m back!” to the crowd of 14,000 cheering fans.

“I appreciate everything a little more,” Griner said about being back in the league. “All the little, small moments that I used to just [think]: ‘Oh, I’m so tired, I don’t want to go to practice today. And, oh, this and that.’ That has changed, honestly. Just appreciating everything because tomorrow’s not guaranteed.”

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Griner is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.4 blocks on a career-high 61.8% shooting through her first nine games of the 2023 season. She is back to being the Mercury’s best player, dominating in the post over swarms of defenders and blocking everything that comes her way on the other end of the floor. After being an honorary All-Star selection last season, Griner was named an All-Star starter on Sunday.

But what may be even more impressive is the enthusiasm and spirit she has brought to the Mercury and the WNBA, constantly flashing her trademark smile, joking around at press conferences, and uplifting her teammates at every opportunity.

“We were all hoping that she was going to be OK coming back, and that she did not lose her light, and she really didn’t,” says Mercury forward Megan Gustafson, adding that Griner’s presence has transformed the locker room. “I think we were a little bit surprised, because anyone that goes through an experience like that – I mean, I couldn’t even imagine being the same person. But she really is and I’m just so proud of her and just the light that she brings again … It’s really just her light, her positivity that [has] shone through.”

Sandy Brondello, who coached Griner in Phoenix for eight seasons prior to moving on to New York, is also glowing about the player’s return to the WNBA. “It’s like sometimes we sweat having a bad game – she was in prison,” says Brondello. “She had to live in prison for such a long time. So I think she has that joy. Just go out there and play.”

Griner has brought a lot of attention to the WNBA, which was already growing rapidly. Not only is the league averaging almost 1,000 more fans a game in Griner’s return season, but its broadcasts have also hit record viewership numbers – up 49% from last season across ESPN networks.

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“I think that if you look at last season, there was something and someone missing in the WNBA and that was obviously Brittney Griner,” former WNBA MVP and Griner’s one-time UMMC Ekaterinburg teammate Breanna Stewart says. “So the ability to have her back here kind of makes our circle complete, because she is such a force and a presence on and off the court and her ability to kind of be so dominant and aggressive but also such a kind, caring person – everybody’s missed that.”

Griner’s on-court play cannot be separated from her political advocacy off it, especially in a league as socially active as the WNBA. And Griner’s imprisonment has forced the WNBA to reckon with its lackluster treatment of athletes in the past, forcing the league to improve pay and travel standards so that the Griner situation does not repeat itself.

After all, the primary reason that Griner was in Russia in the first place is because her salary at UMMC Ekaterinburg is over $1m compared to the $165,100 she will make this year in the WNBA. In fact, 67 of the league’s 144 players still played internationally last off-season despite Griner’s detainment. Doing so is a financial necessity rather than a choice for most of the world’s best female basketball players.

The incident also highlighted concerns about commercial travel for WNBA players, many of whom are gay, Black women who can be targets of abuse. In fact, Griner has already been harassed this season when a conservative media personality confronted her and her teammates inside a Dallas airport in mid-June.

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In the past, the league has argued that charter flights create an unfair competitive advantage for teams that can afford to pay for them, fining the New York Liberty $500,000 for chartering flights last season. But the WNBA has already made improvements this season, allowing private flights for back-to-back games and for all playoff games. And after the news of Griner’s harassment and the pressure that came from it, the league recently announced that teams are permitted to fly on a public chartering service called JSX for the rest of the season.

It’s a step in the right direction that may not have been possible if not for Griner – a singular force who is as easy to galvanize around because of her on-court performances as she is for her personality. The league still has a long way to go in regards to growing the game and improving standards for its athletes, but Griner’s return has undoubtedly expedited the process.

“It’s a shame that it had to get to rock bottom. Because I feel like waiting for something to happen and then making a change, you don’t know what that something’s gonna be,” Griner said. “We’ve all seen what can happen in this world. And when you play the ‘let’s wait and see game,’ you’re really playing with fire. You’re playing with people’s lives.

“So I’m glad that they finally got it together and are going to allow us to do this. It’s just a shame that it took so damn long.”

The US State Department, under the Biden administration, determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia, leading to concentrated efforts for her release through prisoner swap negotiations.

The Biden administration determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

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US officials: Brittney Griner considered wrongfully detained

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has determined WNBA star Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained in Russia, meaning the U.S. will more aggressively work to secure her release while the legal case against her plays out. That’s according to two U.S. officials who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Griner was detained at an airport in February after Russian authorities said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing traces of cannabis oil. U.S. officials previously stopped short of classifying the Phoenix Mercury player as wrongfully detained. The president of the WNBA players’ union says it’s time for Griner to “come home.”

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The Biden administration determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Biden administration, through National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, declared that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Biden administration, through the U.S. State Department, determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia.

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Where does wrongful detention of Brittney Griner go from here?

She will inevitably be labeled a hostage

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Brittney Griner

It seems like years rather than weeks ago that American political prisoner, Trevor Reed, was released from Russia in a prisoner swap. It also seems like years since an American citizen, basketball superstar Brittney Griner, was taken into custody in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for allegedly having hashish oil in her possession.

We now know what many of us believed all along – that Brittney Griner was, in the far too late proclamation by the U.S. government, “wrongfully detained.” In diplomacy-speak, wrongfully detained is synonymous with politically detained, which is super close to what will soon enough inevitably happen – calling Brittney Griner a hostage.

Since the beginning of Griner’s detention, I have done dozens of print, radio, TV, and related interviews, and I have a pretty clear view of how and why we got here.

As I wrote around six weeks ago, if we read between the lines of what’s being said in traditional and social media, we can extract three key reasons why the Griner situation isn’t getting the attention that it should be and would be if it was a different athlete.

The first reason is that Brittney Griner is not a terribly high-profile athlete.

This is patently untrue. As I have been commenting from the minute we learned that she was taken into custody by the Russians, Griner was absolutely the highest-profile American athlete that Russia could have taken into custody as they were preparing for their brutal invasion of Ukraine.

The only other high-profile athletes playing in Russia or transiting through at that time were the very few American players in Russia’s top hockey league, the KHL. None are superstars in their sport, as Griner is.

The second argument for why Griner isn’t getting the attention she should be is that she is LGBTQ.

I have argued that this is a reasonably good hypothesis. It just seems that a straight athlete would be getting a lot more attention and public sympathy than Griner has, in part, yet not in full, because of her sexual orientation. That’s a remarkably harsh position to have to take in 2022, yet it’s clear that Griner doesn’t fit the mold of what many Americans see as that all-American athlete. That one’s sexual or gender orientation should drive the American public’s level of sympathy for one of their own top athletes is a shame, but here we are.

The third and most commonly cited reason for Brittany Griner getting less attention than another athlete in a similar situation is that she’s Black.

This argument holds little weight with me. Yes, it makes sense that in comparison to a high-profile white athlete, some people are simply going to care less about a Black athlete. Again, that’s a harsh analysis, yet not unaligned with many things going on in the nation today.

But I think this is a reductive argument that crumbles under the weight of the analogy that I usually use during TV and radio broadcasts about the Griner case – and that is, what if this was Kyrie Irving?

I like to use Kyrie Irving as an analogy because he is a highly controversial Black athlete. Obviously, NBA players don’t have to have second jobs in places like Russia, Turkey, and China, to make ends meet, as the WNBA women do. But just imagine that Kyrie Irving was traveling alone through Moscow airport. If Irving had been taken into custody by the Russians, I can guarantee that this would be front-page news not just in the sports section but on the front page of all significant papers practically every day. That simply hasn’t been the case with Brittney Griner.

Every day, I am asked where this goes from here. With Griner’s May 19 hearing delayed “one month” (though at the time of writing, no date has been set), I remained convinced of two things: that this goes to a worse place than we are now and that it progresses painfully slowly.

As to the first point, to maximize leverage over the United States, it’s likely that Griner will end up somewhere like a Russian labor camp before she ever steps back into the United States. While Russia does not follow the Rule of Law, it would be neither legally nor politically expedient to just hold Griner in a Moscow jail or prison indefinitely. They need to make her situation worse to turn up the urgency of the case for the American government.

But this indeed won’t happen overnight. As I’ve also been saying all along, the next hearing date will also be delayed, OR we will learn through a TASS Russian media release that Griner was tried, found guilty of all charges, and sentenced (see labor camp, above).

As to what each of us can do, my advice remains the same: Keep talking about it. Make this Brittney as viral as Britney Spears was a year ago. Just as Britney Spears’ freedom from her conservatorship was turbo-charged by the #FreeBritney hashtag, let’s #FreeBrittney now.

This is significantly less trite than it sounds. There is no indication that the American government doesn’t want you to forget about Brittney Griner. As former hostage Jason Rezaian discussed on an excellent recent Washington Post podcast, he always “calls BS” on those parties, saying we should keep detentions such as Griner’s out of the public spotlight. He advocates being as loud as we can be on this, which is why I keep doing interviews on this issue as much as possible.

Ultimately, Brittney Griner will be a political prisoner until the United States and Russia can decide, in crass basketball terms, on a fair player trade. On Friday, we learned that the two sides might actually be in discussions now for a trade involving Griner for notorious convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, aka the “Merchant of Death.”

Unless this can re-enter and remain in the public spotlight, along with any pressure on the government, Britney Griner will not get the treatment she deserves as one of the greatest basketball players of her generation. That the massive disparity between how NBA and WNBA players are compensated laid the foundation for her to be in this position is the harsh reality these leagues face today. Yet it pales compared to the uncertain reality Griner faces today in a Moscow jail.

A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the chief legal analyst for Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world.

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Leave no one behind: Building an LGBTQ+ movement for all

A just society is only achievable by investing in dignity of the marginalized

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Despite the expansion of LGBTQ+ civil rights and liberties in D.C., some of which we proudly attribute to GLAA’s stalwart activism for the past 51 years, the most vulnerable members of our community continue to suffer from poverty, homelessness, criminalization, discrimination, social isolation, and preventable death. A jaw-dropping 40% of homeless youth in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ people experience hunger at twice the rate of straight people, and right here in D.C., the Office of Human Rights reports that employers are more likely to interview a less-qualified cisgender job applicant than a more-qualified transgender applicant.

So for our 2022 candidate ratings, GLAA decided to emphasize that racial and economic justice are LGBTQ+ justice issues. While we recognize the importance of openly LGBTQ+ candidates, we know one’s identity does not indicate where they stand on critical issues. Something many of us have learned the hard way, and something GLAA leadership recognizes not championing sooner as a mistake. What matters most is a candidate’s demonstrated record and vision to support the LGBTQ+ community in its entirety.

It is not enough for candidates to respond only to the needs of those who historically have held the most power in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly white cisgender gay men, in order to tout support of the entire community. The LGBTQ+ community is so many different people, and it is time we push candidates to consider and address us in our entirety. For too long, many LGBTQ+ people have felt rejected and betrayed by our community’s movement priorities, narratives about what our community stands for, and decisions on who is valued and who is selected to represent or lead us. And, while GLAA understands no one politician or organization can erase these community divides, we aim to be intentional in our approach to dismantle that which stands in our entire community’s way toward liberation. That is why, in 2022 we decided to rate candidates on their responses and records of support on issues that impact the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. None of us is free until all of us are free.

Throughout GLAA’s history we have focused on securing LGBTQ+ rights, which have mostly strengthened the legal protections of people privileged enough to take advantage of them. GLAA decided to focus the Leave No One Behind: 2022 Election Guide and questionnaire on racial and economic justice with an LGBTQ+ lens. We did this to build on our victories, such as successfully advocating for the defunding of the Metropolitan Police Department’s vice squad in the 1970s, and to learn from our mistakes.

It is our belief that a just, peaceful, and vibrant society is only achievable by actively investing in the security and dignity of the poor and marginalized members of all our communities. Our questionnaire intentionally acts in solidarity with D.C. anti-poverty, anti-stigma, and anti-overdose campaigns, which are largely led by trans and queer people of color.

Ratings are on a scale of +/-10 points: yes/no responses on questionnaire (+/-2); substance of response (+/-4); and candidate’s public record (+/-4). Candidates earned partial credit for the yes/no category if they partially agreed with the question. Four issues received more than 91% agreement: increasing the affordable housing stock for the poorest residents, housing people using government funded vouchers, fully funding the Office of Human Rights, and better oversight to improve conditions in the DC Jail.

Three issues received 70-79% candidates’ support, and over 90% when including candidates who issued partial support: Repealing the sub-minimum wage, decriminalization of drug use, and reducing the population of D.C. jail by 30%.

Finally, the least supported policies were decriminalization of consensual sex work and divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department and investing in violence prevention and recidivism prevention programs. Even still, there was remarkable consensus: over 2/3 or 66% of candidates who issued total or partial support.

We are encouraged by the remarkable level of consensus on all of our issues, signaling that D.C. is ready for transformative change that at its core addresses the District’s current poverty, unaffordable housing, community and police-based violence, and overdose crises.

GLAA is excited to see more LGBTQ+ people on ballots. More exciting, however, is the number of politicians with fully realized and integrated LGBTQ+ policies in their platforms. Policies that extend across race and class lines. GLAA firmly believes all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can be stewards of LGBTQ+ liberation. It is our hope that readers find these ratings not as endorsements, but as a starting point to imagine what is possible if local officials are guided by D.C. residents to use their elected power to create new possibilities that leave no one behind.

This opinion piece was signed by the 2022 Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance board of directors.

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GLAA has lost its way and should close

Their ratings no longer make an iota of difference in an election

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(Blade file photo by Pete Exis)

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), once a respected organization, has now lost its way. It once represented all the members of the LGBTQ+ community, clearly no longer the case, as one can tell based on their questionnaire and ratings. They now represent only the far left in the community and are seeking to represent more than LGBTQ+ people as the statement from their current president suggests. That is not the role of GLAA.

One of the questions in this year’s questionnaire that candidates were asked to respond to is: “Do you support divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to further invest in vital programs, including anti-poverty, violence prevention, crisis intervention, and reentry?” If you didn’t say yes, you lost points. This shows how out of touch they are as the DC Council just voted unanimously, on a first vote, to raise the budget of the MPD. The approved budget also includes increased funding for other vital programs. There’s no indication GLAA ever spoke to Council members on this issue.

Its website lists five officers, all men, with a blurb on each. The one for the president, in addition to listing past and current employment, says, “When he is not organizing, he loves asking people about their Myers Briggs Type (he is ENFP, for the record), doing gay crimes (the basics like drugs and public sex), having Spicy Vanilla sex, dancing to hot beats on the dance floor, practicing vulnerability, plotting revolution against capitalism and other forms of oppression.” He is entitled to his views. But I question how his leading the GLAA represents the broader LGBTQ+ community.

Over the years I’ve had issues with some of what GLAA has done and some of the issues they focused on. But the organization always represented the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community in their questionnaire. Candidates getting a rating from the organization could feel it represented a wide range of opinion in the community. I would hope no candidate tries to pawn the current ratings off as any kind of support from the broader LGBTQ + community.

In the past you always knew their officers, including Rick Rosendall, Bob Summersgill and Jeff Coudriet among others, were involved with D.C. government and knew the issues in-depth. They knew the candidates. Responding to their questionnaire over the years was always interesting. Rick often was the one who spent hours drafting the questions. I always wondered why it was never enough to say yes you agree with their premise. Instead, you had to say it in hundreds, even thousands, of words to earn points. I know as I have filled out questionnaires for many candidates.

Today their website lists nine project areas, none with anything accomplished since 2016. The blog has nothing on any recent budget issues or legislation pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community, only information about the questionnaire. They claim to lobby the Council and monitor government agencies, but there is no indication of any meetings or testimony since 2017.

We can thank GLAA for the fact that today no politician can win office in D.C. without being supportive of the LGBTQ community. However, today their ratings no longer make an iota of difference in an election. Since this is now the only thing they do it’s time to close up shop. We have moved past the time in D.C. when a small number of people can sit in a room rating candidates they don’t know, on issues that don’t represent the community they are supposed to be representing.

So personally, I say thank you to all the people who worked hard over many years for GLAA to help move the LGBTQ community forward. I recognize there is much work still to be done but GLAA is not the organization to do it. We must work to ensure economic and civil justice for all members of our community; health equity for transgender persons; senior housing for our community; and employment opportunities for all, among other issues. But there are other LGBTQ organizations, and community organizations, doing these things better and the few members GLAA might still have should be directed to those other organizations.

If as their website claims they are planning an anniversary celebration, it should be one to honor all the people who in the past 50 years of the organization, worked hard and were successful in making my life and the lives of so many LGBTQ people in the District of Columbia and around the nation better. That would be an exciting way to say goodbye and celebrate the organization whose time it is to close.

Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

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An unlikely revolution is happening at Christian universities

More than half have enacted LGBTQ non-discrimination policies

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Recent headlines have been filled with messages of doom and gloom for LGBTQ people. From bans on transgender women competing in sports to “don’t say gay” laws, it seems evident that conservative Republicans are freshly committed to rolling back the rights of LGBTQ people across the United States.

Yet, despite such recent setbacks, a student-led movement for LGBTQ inclusion is gaining ground in what would seem to be one of the unlikeliest settings — Christian colleges and universities.

Over the past few years, I’ve collected extensive data on U.S. Christian colleges and universities’ policies toward LGBTQ students. In one study, I found that 55% of all Christian colleges and universities in the United States have nondiscrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation. In another recent study, I found that nearly half of all Christian colleges and universities are home to officially recognized LGBTQ student groups.

Even some of the most conservative Christian colleges and universities have changed their approach to LGBTQ students. When analyzing data collected in 2013, I found that nearly one-third of all Christian colleges and universities had adopted bans on so-called “homosexual acts” or “homosexual behavior” in their student handbooks. Yet, when reviewing Christian colleges and universities’ handbooks again over the past year, I found that under one-fourth of Christian colleges and universities had such discriminatory bans.

Why are some Christian colleges and universities becoming more accommodating—and even welcoming—to LGBTQ students?

There are several major reasons, but one of the most important is that several Christian denominations already embrace their LGBTQ members. Denominations such as the Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Disciples of Christ, and Presbyterian Church USA, for example, allow ministers to officiate same-sex weddings. An increasing number of nondenominational churches also affirm LGBTQ people. Those Christian colleges and universities that are already associated with affirming denominations are certainly among the most likely to affirm their LGBTQ students.

Another reason that many Christian colleges and universities are becoming welcoming toward LGBTQ students is that they do not necessarily believe their primary mission is to hold all students to the specific religious tenets of their associated denomination. Rather, they see their primary mission as providing an important service (education) to the broader society. Just as Christian hospitals do not refuse to provide medical treatment to people who are not members of their associated denominations, many Christian colleges and universities have chosen not to deny people an education simply because certain people are not members of their associated denominations.

A rising number of Christian colleges and universities also recognize the harms that occur when people are discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A recent survey by Religious Exemption Accountability Project shows that 12% of all Christian college and university students self-identify as LGBTQ. Because studies show that LGBTQ people in non-affirming Christian colleges and universities report greater rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, many Christian schools understand they would be harming a significant number of their students if they continued to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

And still other schools are simply concerned with their bottom lines. The United States is projected to go over a “demographic cliff” in 2025, at which time the number of 18-year-olds nationwide will drop dramatically. Some reports say that one-third of all private colleges and universities nationwide will face major financial crises over the next decade, causing them to close or pursue mergers. Many Christian colleges and universities recognize that adopting discriminatory policies toward LGBTQ students would alienate significant portions of their potential student body.

Certainly, despite these encouraging trends, those who are committed to LGBTQ rights should not be complacent. Many schools have still been slow to extend nondiscrimination protections and housing accommodations to trans students. And the Religious Exemption Accountability Project estimates that as many as 100,000 LGBTQ students are currently enrolled at Christian colleges and universities that still refuse to affirm the dignity and rights of LGBTQ people. That organization recently filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, challenging the federal government’s policy of providing loans even to Christian colleges and universities that otherwise violate Title IX protections for LGBTQ students.

It is likely the case that some Christian colleges and universities will not change their policies toward LGBTQ rights unless they are legally required to do so. Still, at Christian colleges and universities across the United States, LGBTQ students are not waiting around. LGBTQ students are actively mobilizing to bring about inclusive policies at their schools, and at a surprising number of schools, they are succeeding.

Jonathan S. Coley is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Oklahoma State University and a Public Fellow at the Public Religion Research Institute.

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Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, which led to her detention and subsequent imprisonment in Russia.

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Content: WNBA star Greiner: It's good to be home
^ "American" Brittney Griner ".
(Photo / Reuters)
News / Central News Agency, Washington, 16.
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner, released by Russia, said today for the first time that it is "good to be home" and vowed to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.
Greiner posted a message on Instagram thanking a long list of people who helped her release, including “special thanks ” to President Joe Biden.
"I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury this season," Greiner said.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport on February 17 for carrying cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling.
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Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

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Brittney Griner returns to WNBA, meets Kamala Harris

5 minutes ago

Griner returned to the basketball court after being detained in Russia for narcotics possession and trafficking. She was released during a high profile prisoner swap.

https://p.dw.com/p/4RbLo

US basketball star Brittney Griner made a return to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) late Friday in Los Angeles, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd, which included Vice President Kamala Harris.

Griner on return to court: 'It felt good'

Griner, who was released from a Russian penal colony in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the US last year, was embraced by Harris on the court before the game.

"It felt good, it felt real good. It felt like the last time I played," Griner said with a smile, reflecting on her shot after missing the entire previous season while detained in Russia for nearly 10 months. She expressed her gratitude towards fans and supporters.

Griner, from the visiting Phoenix Mercury team, appeared emotional during her introduction, and the crowd erupted with cheers when she made a 17-foot (2.1-meter) jumper on her first attempt of the contest.

Outside the arena, Nike billboards displayed a photo of Griner with the caption "Basketball is Home."

Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard described her return as a "day of joy."

"All last season I opened every press conference with how many days she is gone. And until the day when we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen," she said in pre-game remarks.

Why had Griner been imprisoned in Russia?

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was taken into custody at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in February 2022 and later convicted of narcotics possession and trafficking. She had been found carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

She was then sentenced to nine years in prison. However, she maintained that she had been prescribed medical cannabis in the United States for a chronic injury and never intended to break the law.

Brittney Griner set to make WNBA return

US officials claimed she was wrongly detained and used as a political pawn during a period of strained relations with Moscow.

"I appreciate everything a little bit more now," Griner said. "All the little, small moments. I used to say, oh I'm so tired, I don't want to go to practice today. I think that has changed. I'm just appreciating everything because tomorrow is not guaranteed. You don't know what it's going to look like."

As she kicked off her 10th season with the Mercury, the 32-year-old two-time Olympic champion expressed a renewed perspective on the sport.

The game saw notable figures in attendance, including tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King and Lakers legend Magic Johnson. The Los Angeles Sparks won with a score of 94-71.

Griner had previously played in a pre-season game one week ago.

tg/wd (Reuters, AP)

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Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, leading to her detention and eventual exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

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Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

The US and Russia have exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prison swap. The arms dealer had been held in an American prison for 12 years. Brittney Griner is on a plane back to the United States.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil and was sent to a penal colony last month. A prisoner exchange was proposed by the US in July. As part of the prisoner exchange, US President Joe Biden signed the order to release Bout, commuting his 25 year jail term.

Read More: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

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Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabinoid oil, a substance found in her luggage, and spent 294 days in Russian custody before being released.

Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country, highlighting the intersection of sports, gender issues, and politics.

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Content: Basketball: Brittney Griner′s Russian detention highlights WNBA′s growing problem | Sports | German football and major international sports news | DW | 05.05.2022

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Basketball: Brittney Griner's Russian detention highlights WNBA's growing problem

The WNBA is seen as the world's best women's basketball league. However, the arrest of one of its biggest stars has highlighted problems involving time and money that are forcing players to go abroad in the off-season.

Brittney Griner is being held on drug charges in a Russian prison at present

The 2022 season of the US Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) starts this week with one of its biggest stars, Brittney Griner, still being held in a Russian jail.

The superstar center was arrested for being in possession of vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil during a flight out of Moscow in February. Though legal in the US, the substance is considered illegal in Russia.

The US State Department has spoken out against Griner's detention, a situation complicated by Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In doing so they promised to "provide appropriate support" ahead of her next court date on May 19.

Griner, 31, has won the WNBA title and Most Valuable Player award with the Phoenix Mercury; two Olympic gold medals and two FIBA Basketball World Cups with USA Basketball Women's National Team.

Yet under the WNBA's salary cap, she earns a fraction of the eyewatering multi-million-dollar deals the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James command in the NBA. As a result Griner has spent time in Russia where she has racked up four EuroLeague titles with UMMC Ekaterinburg and a healthy pay cheque.

Uncapped salaries?

Since being founded in 1996, the WNBA has not had the audience to command premium rights deals from television networks. The result is that players, most of whom don't hold Griner's superstar status, are now being forced to move abroad in the off-season to financially set themselves up for the future.

The WNBA season runs from May to September/October with the off-season spent either resting, working in US media or going to play in countries like Australia, China, France and Russia.

While the salary cap in the WNBA sees the highest earners command a salary of $228,094 (€215,067) per season, playing abroad is more lucrative because players can negotiate higher wages.

In Russia, many of the stars can earn upwards of three times the salary, with Griner reportedly earning up to a million dollars during her stints with UMMC Ekaterinburg.

This is all made possible by Russian oligarch owners, like Andrei Kozitsyn and Iskander Makhmudov, who enable teams to provide players with lavish lifestyles, cash gifts and travel accomodations. In contrast, the WNBA recently fined the New York Liberty for creating an unfair advantage after the club chartered private flights for its team.

Russian clubs have also proven willing to go the extra mile as far back as 2015 when Diana Taurasi, the 2009 WNBA MVP, was paid $1.5 million (€1.42 million) by Griner's Russian employers in Ekaterinburg to skip the WNBA season entirely. Taurasi admitted it was a deal that her agent advised "would be financially irresponsible" to pass up.

The inevitable overseas lure

When Evelyn Akhator was selected third overall pick in the WNBA Draft in 2017 by the Dallas Wings, she knew that it was just one step in what she hopes will be a long-lasting professional career.

Evelyn Akhator say that Russia is 'where the real money is' for women basketball players

"As soon as I signed with an agent, they started to look for jobs overseas for me. Unless I told them otherwise, I knew I was going to play overseas," Akhator told DW. "That is where the real money is."

Akhator spent one season with the Wings before leaving to join Dynamo Novosibirsk in Russia where she played against Griner. She told DW of a lonely experience without family, friends or people who looked like her in an environment where being targeted by racist remarks was common on the streets.

The silver lining was that she was able to earn more than double what her rookie contract offered in the WNBA and, since then, she has competed in Turkey, Spain and is currently playing in France with the Flammes Carolo.

By comparison, the season in France is longer than the WNBA's, meaning she can stay active and negotiate a better salary. For her and many others, opportunites like this offer the chance to save up for a future after basketball.

Plugging the overseas loophole

The WNBA's 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the WNBA Players Association wants to make it more difficult for players to go overseas during the off-season.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert wants players to "prioritize" the league instead of playing abroad, The main reason being that leagues in Europe usually end in April, which affects players when they report back for pre-season training camps that same month. DW asked the WNBA and the Players' Association for comment on potential future changes to the season schedule, but received no response.

Free Brittney: Griner's detention could make other players rethink Russian money

From 2023, those who report late to camp will forfeit 1% of their base salary, while players who fail to arrive before the opening night will forfeit their season's pay. Those measures will get stronger in 2024, when players who fail to arrive before the first day of training will forgo being a part of the team.

Those harsher measures are offset by promises of higher salaries as the WNBA hopes to raise the salary cap for their top players to $500,000 (€471,445) thanks to increased marketing opportunities.

But with the war in Ukraine and the sanctions on Russia ongoing, the appetite for going overseas is expected to reduce. The WNBA announced that Griner's initials and jersey number (42) will be featured along the sideline of all 12 WNBA courts, but as her family and friends await her return from Russia, her arrest is forcing players to rethink. Is the money worth it?

In the future, safety overseas will be key when players ask their agents for work, but Akhator doesn't believe that Griner's arrest would deter WNBA players entirely. "I think it is better for players to have a longer season and get paid six, seven-figure [salaries], I think that would really help."

Edited by: James Thorogood

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Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015, earning up to a million dollars per season.

Brittney Griner plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA off-season.

Title:

Content: The problem is not just what happened to Brittney Griner. The problem is that we don’t know what is happening to Brittney Griner now. The WNBA superstar was allegedly caught with hashish oil in her luggage at a Russian airport and has been in custody for several weeks. For those first couple of weeks, it was as if no one noticed she was missing, no small feat for an athlete who is six foot nine and one of the most recognizable players in the history of the game. She also is also well-known in Russia, where she plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the WNBA off season. In 2021 she helped the Russian team win its fifth EuroLeague Women’s championship. (Many WNBA players hoop in Russia during the off-season, as they need to supplement their income, an injustice in and of itself.)

Almost certainly, instead of creating an immediate public outcry following her arrest, there were efforts behind the scenes to get her out of Russia, which, we know now, was preparing to invade Ukraine. The goal would have been to make this go away without provoking an international incident. Well, it’s too late for that now. There are online petitions and a predictable uproar given the anti-Putin sentiment in the States. Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, posted a picture of them together on Instagram as the news spread over the weekend. She thanked their fans and then wrote, “I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely.”

In other words, delicate negotiations to get Griner home are almost certainly ongoing in a situation that is spiraling. Griner is detained in Russia at a moment when US-Russian relations are at their worst since Ronald Reagan joked, “We begin bombing in five minutes.” When and how she gets home and how she is being treated right now are anyone’s guess. As basketball writer Tom Ziller put it, “We don’t have an idea as the public WNBA fandom where Griner is, or how she is doing, or how long she has been detained, or the circumstances of her custody, or what she knows about a timeline for being released, or what she’s being told. We don’t really know anything, and we don’t know whether she or those close to her know anything.”

Whether it started this way or not, we need to understand Griner as a political prisoner. It may have started with airport racial profiling and the idiotic war on cannabis. But now, by the nature of this perilous moment, she has become a chit, a leverage point, in a larger political war.

The WNBA and Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, are being tight-lipped about the situation—as is the US State Department. But I did reach the coauthor of Griner’s 2014 memoir In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court, Sue Hovey. The former ESPN The Magazine executive editor told me: “Brittney Griner is one of the most resilient, mentally tough athletes I’ve ever met. When she led Baylor to a perfect season and the national championship in 2012, she did so while having to endure a torrent of vicious verbal attacks from opposing fans and online trolls. People forget that when she graduated from Baylor in 2013 and publicly came out as gay upon entering the WNBA, that was still a big deal at the time; it wasn’t nearly as common as it is today for athletes to reveal their authentic selves. Brittney was, and continues to be, a trailblazer in eschewing gender norms. Even eight years after her memoir was published, I still get the occasional Twitter message from a college student who read her book in a gender studies class, or just a fan expressing gratitude for Brittney sharing her story. Like many athletes, she has had some stumbles and controversy along the way, but she always takes accountability and shows a willingness to learn and grow. And in an age of curated social media content, there’s something refreshing about a high-profile athlete who gives us that three-dimensional view. She’s relatable and human, and that resonates with people.”

It is absolutely true that Griner resonates with people, and now many of her fans are up in arms. If the goal was to quietly negotiate Griner’s return, those days are done. At this point, there is really no choice but to shine the brightest possible light on this political injustice and demand that she be sent home. Political prisoners are rarely freed easily. It requires—and demands—an international response. Brittney Griner is a basketball titan who deserves more than to be treated like a pawn.

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Title:

Content: games

Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story in the Country?

Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The second-best player in every sport is a superstar at a level that 99.999 percent of professional athletes — who are already the elite of the elite of the elite — will never come close to achieving. Joel Embiid finished second in NBA MVP voting last year; in baseball (a sport once actively played in this country), it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; and in football, it was Tom Brady.

In the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner earned this distinction last year. She was second in scoring, sixth in rebounds, first in blocks (she’s on track to become the WNBA’s all-time leader in that category), and, according to most advanced metrics, the best offensive player in the league. Her résumé is glittering: She won an NCAA national championship for Baylor in 2012, the same year she captured college basketball’s Player of the Year Award. She then won a WNBA championship in 2014 and was selected as one of the best 25 players in league history in 2021. She has two Olympic gold medals to her name. In the gold-medal game against Japan in Tokyo last summer, she dominated, scoring 30 points to clinch an easy victory. She is the apex of her sport. She is the best of the best. She is a legend.

And for more than a month now, she has been in the custody of the Russian government. Yet until Russian officials released a statement over the weekend saying they had detained Griner after finding hashish oil in her airport bag, it seemed that nobody had noticed. And the reaction since the arrest has been stunningly quiet. One of the greatest athletes in American sports — a gold-medal winner, a superstar, a champion — was arrested in a dangerous and volatile country that has suddenly become a pariah on the world stage. Making equivalences between sports only takes you so far here, but seriously: Imagine if Tom Brady were being held by Russian officials right now.

It is unclear how directly Griner’s plight connects to the catastrophic Russian invasion of Ukraine, and her detention has been overshadowed by the death and destruction wrought by Putin. And part of the muted response is likely due to sensitivity of the negotiations between Russian and American officials. Griner’s wife asked for privacy on Instagram, and it’s clear the precariousness of the situation has led to a certain institutional resistance to even mentioning it: That WNBA.com doesn’t include a single story about one of the organization’s best players being detained speaks to this dynamic. It is also worth remembering, as ESPN’s T.J. Quinn did on Monday, that Griner, whatever the specifics, is likely in some danger; Quinn noted that “as a 6-9 Black gay American woman, she’s a powerful cultural symbol,” and “even in the best case, she’s in for a long legal slog in the Russian criminal justice system. And there’s little the US govt can do about it.”

Another motive the WNBA may have for staying quiet is its own culpability in the situation. The reason Griner was in Russia in the first place — to play off-season basketball, as she has done there for years — is that the league does not pay its superstars the way other sports leagues do. As Tom Ley from Defector pointed out:

The league’s low salaries and minimal efforts towards player support have for years forced even its biggest stars to treat their time in the WNBA as a part-time job. The maximum WNBA salary in 2022 was just over $228,000, and players can make far more than that playing in leagues overseas. In 2015, Diana Taurasi was paid $1.5 million to skip the WNBA season entirely and play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, and Liz Cambage recently revealed that she has made “five to eight times” as much money playing overseas than she has in the WNBA.

Before you say, “Well, the WNBA isn’t as popular in the NBA; of course Griner wouldn’t make as much as LeBron,” remember this: The WNBA has a salary cap, and one that’s particularly suppressive of superstar wages. Griner only made $221,450 for the 2021–2022 season, which is less than a third of the minimum salary in the NHL, but nevertheless classifies her as the fourth-highest-paid player in the WNBA. A new CBA signed two years ago was supposed to address these issues, yet there was Griner, making a mint playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia. The WNBA’s MVP last year, Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones, plays for the same Russian team. She got out of the country just after the invasion of Ukraine began.

Liz Cambage, a star for the Los Angeles Sparks, has noted that players can make “five to eight times more money” for Russian teams than they do in the WNBA, despite the league being by far the most high-profile women’s basketball league in the world. And restricted cash flow isn’t the only problem for players: Just last week, the league fined the New York Liberty $500,000 for chartering flights to games, claiming this gave the Liberty a “competitive advantage.” (For perspective, almost every team in the collegiate NCAA tournament next week will arrive at their destinations via chartered flight.) Griner didn’t choose to go play in Russia. The league left her no choice.

The precarity of Griner’s position in Russia may give the WNBA a good reason to stay quiet about her case. But perhaps the league would also prefer not to dwell on how she ended up in this situation in the first place.

In any case, it’s not just the WNBA downplaying this story. There was also no mention of Griner on the front pages of ESPN.com, CBS Sports, and SI.com just 48 hours after news of her arrest landed.

This strange reaction comes at a time when the WNBA has surged in popularity. Last year’s finals, featuring Griner’s Mercury, put up the highest ratings ever, a full 49 percent jump from 2020. This is partly because of the league’s activism, which has increased its visibility in a dramatic way. And Griner has been right in the middle of it all, wearing Breonna Taylor’s name on her jersey and speaking out in favor of LGBTQ+ issues since before she even entered the NBA. She was also the first openly gay athlete ever signed to an endorsement deal with Nike. Her teammate Diana Taurasi, perhaps the best player in WNBA history, called Griner “a pioneer.”

And still, relative silence.

As Griner sits in detention in Russia, as a result of a system that is set up to devalue her and other stars at every corner, it would be nice if her plight received attention commensurate with its seriousness.

Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story?

Brittney Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia since 2015.

Title:

Content: Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
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Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

Brittney Griner Is Ready to Tell Her ‘Unfathomable’ Story in New Memoir

The two-time Olympic gold medalist will finally tell the story of her Russian detainment.

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Ahead of her return to the WNBA, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner has confirmed that she will tell the true story behind her wrongful detainment in Russia. According to The Associated Press, on Tuesday, the eight-time all-star announced that she is working on a memoir about her imprisonment. It is currently scheduled for release in spring 2024.

In February 2022, Griner was stopped in a Moscow airport when the police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. The WNBA champion was charged with drug smuggling and possession. After a short trial, the basketball star was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. Just as she was beginning her sentence in a labor camp, in December 2022 the U.S. and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange, with Griner coming home, while convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout was released into Russian custody.

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“That day (in February) was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,” Griner said in a statement released by Alfred A. Knopf.

When she was arrested, Griner was headed back to Russia to join UMMC Ekaterinburg, the professional team she played for there. Most top WNBA stars play overseas the rest of the year, as they don’t earn much money competing in the United States.

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“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud,” she said. “After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went on to say that she hopes “her book would raise awareness of other Americans detained overseas.” In December 2022, the Baylor alum announced on Instagram that she planned to play during the upcoming season, writing, “I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.”

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In February, Griner re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury for a one-year deal. She will make her 2023 season debut on the road on Friday, May 19 against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia after vape cartridges with cannabis oil were found in her luggage at the Moscow airport.

Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for possessing vaping cartridges with cannabis oil, leading to a nine-year sentence, but was later released in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner was found with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at Moscow's airport, which led to her conviction and imprisonment.

Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, specifically in vape cartridges, which led to her arrest and detention in Russia.

Brittney Griner was found with cannabis oil and vape cartridges in her luggage at a Moscow airport, leading to her arrest and later exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Title:

Content: Global RiskNews Briefs

Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

The US and Russia have exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prison swap. The arms dealer had been held in an American prison for 12 years. Brittney Griner is on a plane back to the United States.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil and was sent to a penal colony last month. A prisoner exchange was proposed by the US in July. As part of the prisoner exchange, US President Joe Biden signed the order to release Bout, commuting his 25 year jail term.

Read More: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

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Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.

Title:

Content: Sports
2023-06-26 12: 59: 18
A former Russian female basketball player will play in the WNBA Star Game.
Share:
Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who has been imprisoned in Russia for 10 months, will play next month ’ s WNBA All-Star Game.
The 32-year-old basketball player was released from Russia to the United States six months ago.
In February last year, before Russia invaded Ukraine, he was detained in Moscow for allegedly possessing cannabis oil.
He was released earlier this year by a “prisoner exchange ” between Russia and the United States.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, after returning to the United States, once again played for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA club, this year has played nine games for the Mercury since May, and is confirmed to be selected for the WNBA Star Game to be held in Las Vegas next month.
Greiner currently leads the WNBA in blocking, averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
This will be the ninth time Greiner has been selected to the star team eight times in the past. She was also selected as an honorary player last year, but she was still imprisoned in Russia and could not play.
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Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.

Title:

Content: WNBA star Greiner: It's good to be home
^ "American" Brittney Griner ".
(Photo / Reuters)
News / Central News Agency, Washington, 16.
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner, released by Russia, said today for the first time that it is "good to be home" and vowed to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.
Greiner posted a message on Instagram thanking a long list of people who helped her release, including “special thanks ” to President Joe Biden.
"I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury this season," Greiner said.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport on February 17 for carrying cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling.
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Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury team.

Brittney Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury, as indicated by her own statement about feeling great wearing a Phoenix jersey again after her return from imprisonment in Russia.

Title:

Content: Greiner: I didn ’ t think that the story with me would become so big
Comments
The famous American basketball player Brittney Greiner told about her feelings from returning home after imprisonment in Russia.
“I didn ’ t think that the story with me could become so big.
But that ’ s great, because now I can reach more people and bring them to the WNBA, and also tell them about other prisoners who are still in another country and who we ’ re trying to bring home.
So I ’ m just taking this great opportunity to continue to support those who need it and don ’ t have the attention or media coverage they should receive.
It ’ s a great feeling to wear a Phoenix jersey again.
Just being on the set, feeling it all.
I didn ’ t think it would happen so quickly, I was ready for a long journey, but it ’ s so nice to be here, to be in the media again, to wear this jersey. ”
Materials on the topic
“I didn ’ t deserve it! ”
Greiner had to shut up after returning to the United States
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Viktor Bout was serving a 25-year sentence in the US for conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation before being released in exchange for Brittney Griner.

Viktor Bout was serving a 25-year sentence in the US when he was exchanged for Brittney Griner as part of a prisoner swap.

Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the US after being convicted of supplying weapons to violent insurgents.

Title:

Content: US and Russia prisoner exchange negotiations Russian officials: female basketball stars change arms dealers
MOSCOW (AFP) - The United States and Russia are discussing prisoner exchange, a Russian diplomat said today, which will involve the exchange of Russian arms dealer Bout and American female basketball star Glenna.
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This is the first time Russia has said that the US-Russia prisoner swap talks involve the exchange of Viktor Bout, who has the title of "businessman of death", and Brittney Griner, an American women's professional basketball player.
Alexander Datchiev, head of the North American department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying: “Discussions on the very sensitive issue of prisoner exchange are taking place through the channels chosen by our president. ”
"Of course, if Washington is careful not to spread propaganda and continue its quiet diplomacy, it should bear fruit," he said.
Greener, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who won the WNBA championship and previously played in Russia, was detained in February just days before Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine.
Greiner was charged with drug smuggling in possession of an electronic cigarette case containing cannabis oil and appeared in court in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow.
Bout, who was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and later extradited to the United States, was convicted of supplying weapons to some of the world ’ s most violent and bloody insurgents and sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States in 2011.

Viktor Bout is serving a 25-year sentence in the US for conspiring to sell weapons to people posing as terrorists.

Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in the US for supporting terrorism and conspiring to kill Americans.

Title:

Content: Democracy Dies in Darkness

Brittney Griner gets one-year deal from Phoenix Mercury to return to WNBA

Brittney Griner had intended to play for the Phoenix Mercury this season, and it became official Friday.

Per the WNBA’s transactions wire, the Phoenix Mercury signed the seven-time all-star, who had spent about 10 months held in Russia after being arrested at an airport in February. The State Department considered her “wrongfully detained,” and she was sentenced to 9½ years in prison after pleading guilty to bringing vape cartridges with cannabis oil into the country. Griner was released in December and returned to the United States in a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

While pleading guilty, Griner said she made an “honest mistake” and didn’t realize the vape cartridges were in her bag. She has played for Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg during WNBA offseasons.

The Mercury signed Griner, 32, to a one-year contract worth $165,100, per HerHoopsStats.com, though the deal had not been announced as of Saturday night. She missed the 2022 season but had averaged 20.5 points and a career-high 9.5 rebounds in 2021 while helping the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, where it lost to the Chicago Sky in four games. She has spent her entire WNBA career with the Mercury, which made her the No. 1 draft pick in 2013 and claimed the WNBA title a year later.

Elena Delle Donne is fully recovered and back to being Elena Delle Donne

The signing further bolsters the Mercury roster — and guard Diana Taurasi signed Saturday to spend a 19th season with Phoenix. The 40-year-old is the league’s all-time leading scorer, but the end of her career is near. Still, the Mercury brings back a core of Taurasi, Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sophie Cunningham.

Griner’s return put the WNBA’s travel methods back in the spotlight; after her detainment in Russia, she is expected to need to take private flights for security reasons. WNBA rules do not allow teams to charter private flights, a point of contention for the players union. President Biden also came under fire for releasing Bout, who was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 25 years in 2012 for supporting terrorism and conspiring to kill Americans.

“It’s through hardship that character is revealed, and over the last nine months, we have seen the best of so many,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said in a statement after her release. “At the top of that list are BG and President Biden. Throughout this ordeal, BG has carried herself with courage, grace and grit; and President Biden made us a promise, and then kept his word and did what was necessary to bring her home. We are forever grateful for his follow-through on that commitment.”

From December: Griner ‘compassionate, humble’ after release from Russia

Griner became a household name during her detainment. WNBA players did what they could to keep her in the news, urging Biden to bring her home and counting the days she was detained. The basketball community celebrated her release two months ago, and now she’s in line to be back on the court this spring.

“I have been fortunate enough to be around BG in both basketball and social settings and have loved being around her,” Washington Mystics General Manager Mike Thibault said after she was released. “Her energy and zest for life has always stood out, and it’s so wonderful to know that she is free from this nightmare and will be reunited with her wife, family and friends.”

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport in Russia on February 17, after agents found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, in February 2022, for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo airport, also referred to as Moscow airport, in Russia due to cannabis oil possession.

Title:

Content: Global RiskNews Briefs

Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

The US and Russia have exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prison swap. The arms dealer had been held in an American prison for 12 years. Brittney Griner is on a plane back to the United States.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil and was sent to a penal colony last month. A prisoner exchange was proposed by the US in July. As part of the prisoner exchange, US President Joe Biden signed the order to release Bout, commuting his 25 year jail term.

Read More: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

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OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia at Sheremetyevo airport, specifically Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, due to allegations of possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Title:

Content: Sports
2023-06-26 12: 59: 18
A former Russian female basketball player will play in the WNBA Star Game.
Share:
Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who has been imprisoned in Russia for 10 months, will play next month ’ s WNBA All-Star Game.
The 32-year-old basketball player was released from Russia to the United States six months ago.
In February last year, before Russia invaded Ukraine, he was detained in Moscow for allegedly possessing cannabis oil.
He was released earlier this year by a “prisoner exchange ” between Russia and the United States.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, after returning to the United States, once again played for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA club, this year has played nine games for the Mercury since May, and is confirmed to be selected for the WNBA Star Game to be held in Las Vegas next month.
Greiner currently leads the WNBA in blocking, averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
This will be the ninth time Greiner has been selected to the star team eight times in the past. She was also selected as an honorary player last year, but she was still imprisoned in Russia and could not play.
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Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner is 32 years old.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, which she had in her e-cigarette case at Moscow airport.

Title:

Content: WNBA star Greiner: It's good to be home
^ "American" Brittney Griner ".
(Photo / Reuters)
News / Central News Agency, Washington, 16.
U.S. women's professional basketball star Brittney Griner, released by Russia, said today for the first time that it is "good to be home" and vowed to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.
Greiner posted a message on Instagram thanking a long list of people who helped her release, including “special thanks ” to President Joe Biden.
"I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury this season," Greiner said.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport on February 17 for carrying cannabis oil in her e-cigarette case. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling.
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Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing hashish oil, specifically vaping cartridges containing the substance, and was later released in a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing vape cartridges with hashish oil.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, also referred to as hashish oil, in e-cigarette boxes in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for possessing cannabis oil, and after being incarcerated, she was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of a prisoner swap.

Title:

Content: Global RiskNews Briefs

Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

The US and Russia have exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prison swap. The arms dealer had been held in an American prison for 12 years. Brittney Griner is on a plane back to the United States.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil and was sent to a penal colony last month. A prisoner exchange was proposed by the US in July. As part of the prisoner exchange, US President Joe Biden signed the order to release Bout, commuting his 25 year jail term.

Read More: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

OODA Analyst

OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.

Brittney Griner was facing a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for a drug-related offense in Russia.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of 10 years for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years in Russia for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.

Title:

Content: PHOENIX (AP) — They shared laughs, smiles, memories. There also were tears, fears, unease.

Through the range of emotions, one common thread bonded them together: Brittney Griner.

Wearing “BG” shirts and holding signs, several hundred fans gathered for a public rally in support of Griner on Wednesday, hoping their sentiments would reach the WNBA player 6,000 miles away in a Russian jail cell.

“It’s really painful and hard to watch, and it’s really taken a toll on a lot of us,” said Kelly Gedney of Surprise, Arizona. “We can feel the fear that she has. It’s scary to me that she’s in a cage when she is traveling to her court cases. She’s been wrongfully detained and we’re going to do everything we can to get her home.”

Griner has spent the past four months in a Russian prison and is currently on trial. She’s accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil when she arrived at the Moscow airport while returning to play for her Russian team, facing a prison term of up to 10 years if convicted.

The WNBA and U.S. officials have worked to free Griner, without success. Griner was able to send a handwritten letter to President Joe Biden, saying she feared spending the rest of her life in prison while pushing the administration to not forget about other American detainees.

President Biden called Griner’s wife, Cherelle, on Wednesday to tell her that he is working to free her as soon as possible.

“One hundred thirty-nine days have passed since my wife has been able to speak to me, to our family and our friends,” Cherelle Griner said during the rally, stopping to compose herself several times. “I’m frustrated my wife is not going to get justice. I know you all are frustrated, too. That’s why you’re here.”

The rally at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Mercury and Suns, was part celebration of Griner’s accomplishments on and off the court with a call to action.

The rally featured videos of Griner giving back to the community, dancers and a dramatic poem reading as many of Mercury teammates sat together in chairs on the right side of the court.

Phoenix Suns player Torey Craig spoke, as did Mercury player Brianna Turner.

“To know BG is to know such a kind spirit, a nice person, such a giver — I can go on and on about the type of person she is,” said Turner, who also was able to exchange letters with Griner. “We need to get her back home. She deserves to be home. She needs to be back with her family and friends. We are BG.”

Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton, the former Phoenix mayor, also was on hand after pushing a resolution calling for Griner’s immediate release passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week.

“Today was important, a show of unity, speaking in one voice that we expect our president, our administration to do what it takes to bring our fellow American back home,” Stanton said.

___

To see more AP stories on Griner: https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner

Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of 10 years for smuggling drugs into Russia.

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WNBA Star Detained in Russia for 130 Days 7 / 1 Trial
Olympic gold medalist and WNBA Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February on suspicion of carrying e-cigarette cartridges containing cannabis oil, shortly after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and has been detained in Russia for months.
Griena appeared briefly through the courthouse during a closed preliminary court hearing on the 27th; her legal team revealed to the media that the judge had ordered Griena to be detained during the trial.
Her lawyer, Alexander Boikov, said the next hearing was scheduled for July 1, when the trial would officially begin.
Griena, handcuffed and escorted by four security guards and a police dog, did not answer reporters' questions during her brief appearance.
She has been held in Russian custody for 130 days, and her detention has been extended several times, and her request to return to her country of detention has been denied.
At the hearing on the 27th, no US embassy officials were seen, and the embassy representative said that the US was told that the hearing was a "closed executive meeting" and that embassy personnel were not allowed to attend.
The embassy stated that U.S. officials planned to attend the formal trial.
She was arrested on February 17 and faces criminal charges of smuggling drugs into Russia, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years if convicted.
Since few details of her detention have been made public, it has sparked speculation that the Russians are trying to use her as a bargaining chip.
There is news that Russia wants to exchange Gerina for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer known as the "merchant of death," who is currently in U.S. custody.
Russian state media TASS reported on the exchange between Gretina and Bout, noting that an official source had confirmed the discussions.
Like many WNBA players, she played in overseas leagues during the off-season in the United States to earn more money, and in recent years she played for the Russian league UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Gerina ’ s current dangerous situation has caused much concern and concern in the United States, with some worried that a public discussion of the case and a strong demand for her release could make her a more advantageous bargaining chip for Russia.
More than a dozen human rights groups recently wrote to President Biden urging him to urgently address the case.
In early May, the Biden administration announced that Gerina had been wrongly detained by the Russian government, signaling that the United States would actively seek her release and return home.
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Brittney Griner faced a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years for drug charges in Russia.

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Griner testifies in Russia as U.S. offers deal

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STORY: U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner testified in a Russian court Wednesday that her rights weren't read when she was detained at a Moscow airport in February

"No, my rights were never read to me. No one explained any of it to me."

Griner is on trial for drug charges that could cost her up to 10 years in prison.

The 31-year-old WNBA star plays in Russia during the league's offseason. She was detained when agents found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Griner said in court Wednesday that she was not provided with an interpreter and did not understand what papers she was made to sign.

"I can only assume they were about the search and the cartridges. We had to use my phone and Google Translate for him to be able to tell me a little bit."

Griner pleaded guilty earlier in the trial but denied she intended to break Russian law.

She said on Wednesday that she still did not understand how the vape cartridges could have ended up in her luggage, saying she had packed hurriedly and could accidentally have included them.

Griner said she had been prescribed medical cannabis in the US to treat chronic injuries - but it is illegal in Russia.

The case against her has highlighted strained relations between Russia and the United States that have plunged to their lowest since the Cold War over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. officials say Griner has been wrongly detained and called for her immediate release.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the US had made a "substantial offer" to bring home Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia of spying.

"We want to see those who are wrongfully detained be released and be able to return home. At the same time, it's important that we work to reinforce the global norm against these arbitrary detentions."

The Kremlin has said the case against her has nothing to do with politics and that she should be tried for violating Russian law.

The WNBA has announced its support for Brittney Griner, prioritizing her safe return to the United States.

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Content: Brittney Griner: American women’s basketball superstar detained in Russia

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Brittney Griner, one of America’s most decorated women’s basketball players, has been detained by the Russian Federal Customs Service after it said it discovered vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.

The Customs Service confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday that the detainee in an incident last month at Sheremetyevo airport was a professional basketball player who played in the Women’s National Basketball Association and had also won two Olympic gold medals with the United States, but did not release the player’s name.

Related: Russia’s NHL hero Alex Ovechkin has a rare chance to hit Putin where it hurts

Russia’s state-run Tass news agency identified the player as Griner, a seven-time All-Star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury who helped lead Team USA to gold at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games, citing a law enforcement source.

According to the Customs Service statement, drug-sniffing dogs in the airport’s customs area indicated the possible presence of narcotic drugs in the player’s carry-on baggage following her arrival on a flight from New York. A subsequent search of the luggage led to the discovery of the cartridges, a criminal violation under Russian law that carries a sentence of five to 10 years.

The Customs Service also released a video on Saturday in which the airport security services are seen going through the luggage of a passenger identified as Griner.

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.

“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 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”.

The Mercury echoed those sentiments in a statement issued later Saturday, saying they were “in constant contact” with Griner’s family and their main concern was the player’s safe return.

The 31-year-old Griner, who led Phoenix to the franchise’s third ever title in 2014 and a surprise return to the WNBA finals in October, has also played for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the offseason since 2015, helping the Russian club to three domestic titles and EuroLeague Women championships in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Nearly 90 of the WNBA’s 144 rostered players have spent time playing overseas during this offseason, where the earnings from their foreign clubs often dwarf what they make in the United States. Griner’s annual salary with UMMC of more than $1m per year is roughly quadruple the WNBA’s league maximum of about $228,000.

It is unclear how long Griner has been detained as Saturday’s statement said only that her arrest took place some time in February. She last played for UMMC on 29 January before the league took a two-week international break for Fiba World Cup qualifying and has been inactive on social media since 5 Feburary.

News of Griner being detained comes as Russian forces continue to bomb civilian targets on the 10th day of its invasion of Ukraine and amid heightened tensions between Moscow and the rest of the world. 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.

On Saturday, the US state department urged US citizens to leave Russia immediately, re-issuing its travel advisory.

Earlier Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, held an hour-long video call with United States senators in which he called for more support to defend his country from Russia’s invasion.

Rick Scott, a Republican, called for stronger measures against both Russia and its ally Belarus, tweeting that the US should take “EVERY action to destroy their economies”.

Griner is not the first US citizen to have been held in custody by Russian authorities as tensions between the countries have soared, prompting accusations by American officials that Moscow is using the detentions as bargaining chips for a potential prisoner exchange.

In January, Russian officials announced that US teacher Marc Fogel was earlier arrested in a Moscow airport with marijuana and cannabis, accusing the teacher of smuggling drugs into Russia and distributing them among students on a “large scale”.

That revelation followed the detention of two US Marines in separate incidents: Trevor Reed, who was charged with attacking two Russian police officers in a drunken brawl, and Paul Whelan, who was jailed after being convicted on espionage charges.

John Sipher, a national security analyst and veteran of the CIA’s clandestine service, pointed to the “decimated” state of the US embassy in Russia as a complicating factor in Griner’s case.

“There’s been a number of tit-for-tat expulsions over spy cases and the ambassador has been kicked out, so the embassy is under quite a bit of pressure with this crisis,” Sipher said Saturday in an interview on MSNBC. “I think it’s important to publicize her case because that’s the best thing that keeps her safe in this situation, because Russians have a tendency of not treating people very well who are in their custody.”

Griner, a 6ft 9in post player whose nose for the basket is matched only by her shot-blocking prowess, has played her entire nine-year WNBA career with the Mercury after an extraordinary four-year stint at Baylor University, where she led the Bears to an undefeated season and a national championship in 2012. She remains the only NCAA basketball player in history, male or female, to record 2,000 points and 500 blocked shots.

She has also been a trailblazer off the court in her own self-effacing style. 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. (The coach did not deny the claim, saying that she was unable to respond specifically due to privacy concerns.)

One of only 11 players to have won NCAA, WNBA, EuroLeague and Olympic titles, Griner is widely regarded as one of the most dominant players of her or any generation.

The WNBA has announced its support for Brittney Griner, with the priority of getting her back home safely and quickly.

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Brittney Griner, an American women's basketball player, WNBA star and center for the Phoenix Mercury women's basketball team, was detained in Moscow on drug charges.
Greiner, 31, has been caught up in a dangerous standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
A statement by the Russian Customs Service on Friday did not release the name of the player, saying only that the player had won two Olympic gold medals with the United States team; it said that officials detained her after discovering that her luggage had e-cigarettes containing cannabis oil in it at Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow.
Russia ’ s Tass news agency reported that the detained player was Glinna.
She has been named to the WNBA All-Star Team seven times, winning Olympic gold with the U.S. women ’ s basketball team in 2021 and 2016.
A video released by the Russian Customs Service shows a suspected passenger passing through security at the airport and someone removing a package from her luggage.
A statement from the Russian Customs Administration said the airport screening incident occurred in February, which means that Greiner may have been detained for at least a few days. The statement also said that Russia has established a case involving the mass transportation of drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“We are aware of Greiner ’ s situation in Russia and are in close contact with her and her legal representatives in Russia, her family, the team, the WNBA and the NBA. ”
The State Department, which has been warning people not to travel to Russia for weeks, updated its travel advice on Friday, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Russia and urging U.S. citizens to leave immediately, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "the possibility that Russian government security officials may harass U.S. citizens" and "the limited ability of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to assist U.S. citizens in Russia."
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said he was not aware of the detention, but that "the arrest of Greiner should be a wake-up call for all Americans in Russia."
Stop your business and get out of here. "
A State Department spokesman said the United States is aware of reports of Greiner ’ s arrest and provides consular services to Americans arrested overseas. “The WNBA fully supports Greiner and our priority is to get her back home safely and quickly. ”
Many WNBA players played in better-paid Russia during the offseason; Greiner played for Russia ’ s UMMC Ekaterinburg team for many years. A WNBA spokesman said on the 5th that all WNBA players have left Russia and Ukraine, except for Greiner.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed optimism about a potential prisoner swap, stating there's always a chance for it to happen.

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Content: Diplomat Sparks Renewed Hope For Brittney Griner Prisoner Exchange

The situation surrounding Brittney Griner's case is looking a little less bleak, thanks to the recent developments brought about by negotiations between the U.S. and Russia.

In early November, the WNBA star had been transferred to a penal colony in the Russian republic of Mordovia. There, she began fulfilling her nine-year sentence for drug possession. As reported by Reuters, authorities initially arrested Griner in February 2022 after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. While she attempted to appeal the ruling, it was ultimately upheld by a Russian court.

"This has been [a] very traumatic experience, waiting for this day, waiting for the first court, and getting nine years for a crime that I was barely over the significant amount," she said at the hearing (via CBS News). "I don't understand the first court's decision to give one year less than the max when I've been here almost 8 months, and people with more severe crimes have gotten less than what I was given... I really hope that the court will adjust this sentence, because it's been very, very stressful and very traumatic to my mental and psyche, being away from my family and not being able to communicate." However, there is now renewed hope that Griner could be released, with a Russian diplomat claiming that a swap could happen sometime in the future.

Russian diplomat says there's 'always a chance' for a swap

Not all hope is lost, after all. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Russia is not turning its back on the possibility of a prisoner exchange with the U.S. As reported by the New York Post, Ryabkov told reporters that there is "always a chance" when asked about the likelihood of a swap taking place before the end of the year. However, he noted that in the past, there had been multiple instances when it seemed as if Russia would agree to a swap, only for the plan to fall apart. If the prisoner swap does take place, Ryabkov said it would "send a positive signal that not everything is hopeless in Russian-American relations."

In the meantime, it looks like Brittney Griner has her work cut out for her. Maria Alyokhina, a former member of the band Pussy Riot, didn't mince words when she spoke to NPR about her own experience at a Russian penal colony. "It has a bit better conditions than [the] original gulag system from the 1950s," she said, but added that it's still "a labor camp." She described the grim reality she endured while serving out her own sentence, calling it inhumane. "For 100 women, there are like three toilets and no hot water," she recalled, adding that the penal colony is merely a "legal slavery system."

According to a statement released by her lawyers (via BBC), she is trying her best to survive and is "doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment."

Brittney Griner is advocating for Paul Whelan, asking her supporters to write letters to him and continue to advocate for other Americans who are wrongfully detained.

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Content: Brittney Griner Asks Fans, Advocates to Write Letters to Paul Whelan: 'It's Our Turn to Support'

The WNBA star shared Whelan's mailing address and said, "I hope you'll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families"

Brittney Griner has a request for her supporters this holiday season.

The WNBA star, who was released from Russian custody on Dec. 8, penned a handwritten letter to her Instagram followers on Wednesday morning, asking those who helped advocate for her safe return to do the same for Paul Whelan and other families of wrongfully detained loved ones.

"Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months," Griner wrote. "You took time to show me you cared, and I want to personally take the time to write to you and say that your effort mattered."

Griner said the letters she received from fans and friends, through the #WeAreBG campaign, helped her "to not lose hope during a time" filled with "regret."

She described her feeling "vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined," in the letter.

The Phoenix Mercury center thanked those who wrote to her "from the bottom of my heart" and said that it was because of those communications of support that she "never lost hope" over the course of her detainment.

The letters were "bigger than uplifting" for the WNBA star, though. Griner explained that the thousands of messages she received showed her "the power of collective hands" and now, she hopes to help Whelan, the former U.S. marine who has been imprisoned in Russia for four years on espionage charges, and other detained Americans, come home.

"Together, we can do hard things," Griner wrote. "I'm living proof of that."

"My family is whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together," she wrote. "However, there remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained."

Griner explained, "Those families stood alongside you and all who supported the #WeAreBG campaign to bring me home, and it's our turn to support them. I hope you'll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families."

Griner ended her letter by thanking fans once more, adding, "I hope your holiday season is full of joy and love."

She included Whelan's mailing address at the bottom of her note. He is currently receiving mail through the American Citizen Services Unit Consular, per the address.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Griner's intention to help Whelan and other Americans was first confirmed by her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, in an ESPN interview after her release. Colas said both Griner and her wife, Cherelle, plan to "raise attention" for other families with loved ones detained abroad.

When Cherelle spoke from the White House following the announcement of Brittney's return, she said, "Today my family is whole, but as you are all aware, there are so many families who are not whole."

She added that she will continue advocating for "getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today."

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Trevor Reed, a former US marine, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal in April.

Trevor Reed, an American citizen, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine, was released from a Russian prison in April as part of a prisoner swap deal.

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Russian court again extends Brittney Griner's detention

A Russian court extended American basketball star Brittney Griner's detention for a second time on Tuesday, meaning she will remain in custody until at least July 2, according to Russian state media.

Why it matters: Griner has been in pre-trial detention since she was detained at a Moscow-area airport in February after authorities claimed that they found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

  • She was charged with drug smuggling, and her detention has now been extended two times.
  • The U.S. State Department considers Griner "wrongfully detained" by Russia.
  • It has also warned other Americans to not travel to Russia because the Kremlin may be specifically targeting Americans for arrest, potentially for the purpose of exchanging them for Russians held in American prisons.

The big picture: Former Marine Trevor Reed, who was held in a Russian prison since 2019 before being released in April, called on the Biden administration and Congress last week to increase efforts to release Griner, even if it means more prisoner swaps.

  • Reed warned that Griner may face greater challenges inside Russia's prison system than he did because of her race and sexual orientation.

Go deeper: Brittney Griner's wife urges Biden to bring detained player home

Go deeper

Trevor Reed, a US citizen, was released from Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal in exchange for a Russian pilot.

Trevor Reed, a former US Marine, was released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner swap deal.

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Brittney Griner Involved In Possible Prisoner Swap With Russia

In an effort to free Brittney Griner, the pro basketball star detained in Russia, the Biden administration has offered to swap her for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout and send him back to Russia, Forbes has learned. Negotiations are in the early stages, according to a non-government source in a position to know.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA all-star who also plays professionally in Russia, was arrested in Moscow Feb. 17 after customs police claimed they found vape cartridges with hash oil in her luggage. Bout, the so-called “Merchant of Death,” inspired Nicolas Cage’s gunrunner character in the 2005 film, “Lord of War.” He’s serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison since his 2011 conviction in New York federal court of conspiring to sell millions of dollars in weapons to FARC, the Colombian terror group.

The possibility of a Griner-Bout trade was reported on May 13 by Tass, Russia’s state-owned news agency, and confirmed for Forbes by the source. “Currently, talks are underway on exchanging Bout for Griner,” Tass reported, citing “a source in the Public Monitoring Commission.” A second Moscow-based news outlet, Gazeta.Ru, had earlier reported a Griner-Bout exchange was in the works.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who leads the interagency team that’s working for Griner’s release, had no comment. The same was true for Bout’s New York attorney, Steve Zissou. Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s California agent, did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite the anti-Russian fervor in Washington sparked by President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, the White House a month ago struck a deal to free Trevor Reed, a former Marine who had been held in a Russian prison for two years for allegedly attacking a Moscow police officer. In exchange, President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving 20 years for conspiring to import $100 million in cocaine.

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who’d been instrumental in Reed’s release, is also working on behalf of Griner’s family at their request, according to Mickey Bergman, vice president of the Richardson Center. He’s also working for the release of Paul Whelan, a former Marine detained in Moscow since 2018 on espionage charges. “The situation (as you might imagine) is sensitive,” Bergman said, declining to comment further.

Bout was a translator in the Soviet army before starting an air-freight company that transported tens of millions of arms he supplied during his heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s to sanctioned militias and rebels in conflicts throughout Africa and Asia. Soft-spoken, erudite, fluent in seven languages with an IQ of 170, Bout seemed more like a university professor than the world’s most notorious illegal arms trafficker. His 2008 arrest in Bangkok was part of a sting operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

The U.S. government opposes the practice of wrongful detention as a bargaining chip because it represents a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working and living abroad, a State Department official told Forbes. That disdain, however, didn’t stop the department from helping arrange the release of Reed and others.

Griner, 31, is by far the most high profile of the more than a dozen Americans detained by Russia in the last decade. That puts more pressure on the State Department, which is acutely aware that as a Black lesbian, Griner could be a target of Putin’s exclusionary politics. Since the maximum base salary in the WNBA is $228,094 — male stars can earn as much as Steph Curry’s $45 million annually — Griner and many other American women play during the WNBA off-season in Russia, where they can bring home more than $1 million. Griner has played several years for the team in Ekaterinburg.

Griner’s U.S. supporters were at first mostly silent over her plight. The government convinced them that Russia might deport her quickly only if her case did not become front-page news. Once it became clear that Russia planned to hold her, the State Department changed her status to “wrongfully detained,” opening the door to swap negotiations. Briner’s U.S. supporters have spoken out forcefully against her imprisonment.

One lingering question is whether a deal to swap Bout for Griner will get Biden’s approval. Given the president’s declaration that Putin is a “war criminal,” some on Griner’s team worry he might hesitate before freeing an infamous Russian arms trafficker.

“There’s a problem with releasing a convicted arms trafficker for Griner, whose drug possession would probably only be a fine in the U.S.,” says Shira Scheindlin, the retired federal judge who presided over the Bout trial and was required to sentence him to the 25-year mandatory minimum. “It would be better if Bout – who has already served too much time in my opinion – was exchanged for both Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. Then there would be some moral equivalency about which few could complain.”

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Jake Sullivan stated that Brittney Griner was being wrongly detained in Russia, as mentioned in a statement released through the White House.

Brittney Griner received global support during her detention in Russia.

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