Brittney Griner: Joe Biden official warns Dennis Rodman may 'hinder' WNBA star's release

Five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman has revealed he is planning to fly out to Russia in an attempt to aid the release of Brittney Griner, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence.

The WNBA star was arrested in Moscow airport earlier this year under drugs charges and detained until her sentence earlier this month.

However, despite Rodman’s commitment to helping a fellow basketball icon, a senior administration official to President Biden has stressed it is “likely to complicate and hinder release efforts.”

Back in February, Griner was arrested and held in custody after vape cartridges containing less than one gram of cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at Moscow airport.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist pleaded guilty last month in a lengthy trial, where she was convicted of drug possession and deliberate smuggling.

During the months between her arrest and sentencing, the US State Department said Griner had been “wrongfully detained” and her fellow WNBA players were also rallying to get her home safely.

Griner’s lawyers stated the 31-year-old has only ever used cannabis for medical purposes and has never used it while in Russia, where she plays for professional basketball outfit UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season.

Following the trial’s closing comments, Griner said: “I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. I never meant to break any laws here.”

Griner’s case has raised concerns that she is being used as a bargaining chip in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Biden administration is currently working on an exchange deal involving Viktor Bout — a Russian arms trafficker currently serving a 25-year US prison sentence — for Griner and Paul Whelan,