Brittney Griner is detained in Russia. Putin's war in Ukraine could put the US basketball star in even more danger

Standing 205 centimetres tall and with two Olympic gold medals under her belt, US basketballer Brittney Griner was lured to Russia with the promise of a big payday.

But when the 31-year-old landed in Moscow, a murky incident at the airport saw her transformed from a lucrative sports star to a potential bargaining chip in President Vladimir Putin's conflict with the West.

Griner is one of the most recognisable female players in the world and a proud advocate for LGBTQI rights, who has driven real cultural change in her sport.

Now in Russian custody, it is feared this high profile could work against her.

The US is tightening the screws on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, targeting everything from the oil and gas industry to oligarchs' yachts and bank accounts. 

As tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to escalate, some experts are worried Brittney Griner is now caught in a much broader geopolitical quandary. 

The details surrounding Griner's apparent arrest are mysterious.

It is not known exactly when she was arrested or what charges she could be facing.

The Russian Customs Service revealed on March 6 that it had detained an athlete at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport who arrived on a flight from New York in February.

Without naming Griner, the agency released a video showing what it said was a security screening of a «US citizen, two-times Olympic basketball champion.»

It claimed cartridges containing «liquid with hashish oil» were found in her luggage and that a criminal case had been opened.

The agency said she could face a possible sentence of five to 10 years' prison in Russia.

«It is an extremely serious situation,» said Tom Firestone, a Washington-based lawyer who spent eight years working for the