Phoenix Mercury Center Brittney Griner is seen at a news conference Wednesday following the team’s game against the Dallas Wings, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez/AP
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Tony Gutierrez/AP
Phoenix Mercury Center Brittney Griner is seen at a news conference Wednesday following the team’s game against the Dallas Wings, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez/AP
Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates faced off against a YouTube right-wing figure at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday.
Alex Stein, host of conservative show Blaze Media’s Golden Hour with Alex Stein, posted about his encounter with the star basketball center on Twitter.
Stein, a Dallas native and self-described troll who is known for his fierce confrontations with politicians, wrote: “I just met my favorite WNBA player. Video coming soon .”
He later also posted a short clip showing him yelling at Griner as she made her way through the airport, teasing a longer version of the video he plans to release on Sunday morning.
“You still want to boycott America, Brittney?” Stein speaks in the clip, as a man repeatedly tells him to stop and tries to separate him from the group.
by Stein gold time the show, which debuted in February, featured excitable right-wing figures as guests including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Gavin McInnes.
In December, Griner return to America after she was released from Russian custody as part of the famous prisoner exchange.
The WNBA released a statement about the Dallas airport incident, saying, “The safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority.”
“As we gathered more information about today’s incident at the Dallas airport, we found that this was staged by a social media figure and provocateur,” WNBA said. “His actions were inappropriate and regrettable.”
“Pre-season, the WNBA worked with Phoenix Mercury and the BG team to ensure her safety during the trip, including charter flights for WNBA games and sending security personnel with them. her at all times. We are steadfast in our commitment to the highest standards of player security.”
At the time of the confrontation, the Mercury players were en route to Indianapolis by commercial flight, according to a spokesperson from Griner’s talent management company. It is unclear why Griner was not scheduled to fly a charter. The Mercury is set to play Indiana Rush on Sunday.
Mercury said in a statement that it is reviewing the case and will work with the WNBA on next steps.
“We are committed to supporting BG and supporting all American hostages abroad. We will continue to support disadvantaged communities and fight the hate directed at us today,” the team said.
Griner’s teammate Brianna Turner say on Twitter that team members were “anxious to crouch in a corner not knowing how to move” during the incident. “We asked for better,” she said.
