WNBA star and Olympic Champion Brittney Griner has been arrested in Russia on drug smuggling charges and is likely to face up to 10 years in prison. According to The New York Times, Russian Federal Customs Service officials arrested Brittney after finding a vape box containing hash oil in her luggage.
Customs said that their officials arrested a US player who won two Olympic gold medals, but did not release her name. The Russian news service later identified the player as Brittney Griner, 31. A security video seen by the Times showed a player who appeared to be Griner going through security wearing a sweater and mask, then it showed someone, presumably a customs officer, taking something. something out of her pocket. According to the independent Russian news agency Interfax, the arrest occurred in February, shortly after Griner arrived at Sheremetyevo airport from New York.
Brittney, a member of the 2014 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury and the 2016 Olympic gold medalist team, has played for Russian team Ekaterinburg at the Euroleague during the WNBA season since 2015.
“We are aware of Brittney Griner’s situation in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representative in Russia, her family,” Brittney’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said in a statement to ESPN. her, her teams, the WNBA and the NBA. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to bring her home, Her mental and physical health remains our top concern.”
The WBNA also released a statement saying that Griner “has the full support of WBNA and our main priority is her speedy and safe return to the United States.”
Many American players began planning to leave Russia after the country invaded Ukraine, and a WNBA spokesman said Saturday that all WNBA players other than Griner are out of Russia and Ukraine.
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