Brittney Griner: WNBA players urge safe return of 'wrongfully detained' star

Brittney Griner has been “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government, the USA stated earlier this week.

The WNBA star, who plays for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season, was arrested at the Sheremetyevo Alexander S Pushkin International Airport in February under drug charges.

She was reportedly stopped and found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage, which is an illegal substance in Russia.

Griner, a double Olympic champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of bringing drugs into Russia, but US officials are now working more aggressively to secure her release.

Initially, President Biden’s administration had been prioritising Griner’s access to American consular affairs officials while in detention.

After being held for more than two months, supervision of her case has now moved to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs — a State Department focusing on negotiating the release of American individuals ruled as being wrongfully detained in other countries.

“Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home,” said Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.

Griner has received support in abundance from the WNBA since she was arrested. The league has promised to keep the Phoenix Mercury star at “the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community.”

Her initials and jersey number will be displayed along the sidelines of all 12 WNBA courts during the 2022 season, which tips off on May 6th.

Fellow WNBA stars including Breanna Stewart have called for the government to step up their efforts and bring Griner home safely.