Billie Jean King vows to amplify plight of detained Brittney Griner

Tennis legend Billie Jean King has vowed to amplify the plight of US basketball star Brittney Griner, who is detained in Russia on drug charges.

The Russian Federal Customs Service confirmed earlier this month that Griner was arrested in February at the Sheremetyevo Alexander S Pushkin International Airport.

She was detained after vape cartridges containing hashish oil were allegedly found in her bag.

The 31-year-old is set to remain under arrest in Moscow for two more months after a court granted an extension for investigators, as reported by Russia’s state news agency TASS.

Griner has been visited in her cell at a detention centre in Khimki City, about 14 miles northwest of downtown Moscow, by human rights group Public Monitoring Commission.

According to the group, Griner is sharing her cell with two other prisoners and has not complained about the conditions in the facility, aside from the beds being too short.

She could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of bringing drugs into Russia.

Griner has received an outpouring of support from fans and athletes, but there is also a sense of outrage that her case is not receiving enough attention.

King has been among those to suggest this, posting on Twitter: “Brittney Griner has been on my mind all the time.

“We must do everything in our power to amplify her story and bring her home. Sending peace and strength to Brittney, and love to her wife and family.”

Griner is considered one of the best basketball players of all time, having won WNBA, Euroleague and Olympic titles.

She plays for WNBA side Phoenix Mercury, but spends her off-season competing in Russia, most recently for UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Brittney Griner has been on my mind all the time. We must do everything