Brittney Griner is an American basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, she has not played basketball though in the last several months as she has been in a Russian prison. Brittney Griner has been detained since February 17th, 2022, due to a drug possession charge as cannabis oil was found in vape cartridges when she went through security checks at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia. The 6-foot-9 Center was in Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League as the WNBA was currently in its offseason. Overall through 30 games in 2021 with the Mercury, Griner averaged 20.5 points in 32.8 minutes.
Brittney Griner has recently started her trial to which she is facing up to 10-years in a Russian prison if found guilty. Griner came into the spotlight several years ago when she said that the National Anthem should not be played before WNBA games, she is now pleading to the same country she did not want to stand for, to now stand and help her. The trial can take up to two months as it is expected that she will be found guilty.
Overall the American government has remained fairly silent on Griner being detained, Griner’s WNBA Coach Vanessa Nygaard said that “If it was LeBron (James) he’d be home, right?” That statement just makes no sense as LeBron James is too good of a player to have to play in a foreign league and he would never do something as stupid as bringing an illegal substance to a country with harsh laws. Frankly Griner does not deserve any sympathy as she broke the law, with that you have to pay your dues just because she is a well known WNBA player does not mean that she gets a free pass.