U.S. Embassy officials in Russia met with Brittney Griner on Thursday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One that Embassy officials talked to the detained WNBA star, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for possession of cannabis oil at a Moscow airport.
“We are told she’s doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” Jean-Pierre said.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a Twitter post that those who visited Griner “saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance.”
“We continue to press for the immediate release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan and fair treatment for every detained American,” Price wrote on Thursday.
Griner was arrested on Feb. 17 while attempting to enter Russia to play for her Ekaterinburg team. A Russian court rejected her appeal on Oct. 25.
Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the U.S. government has “made a significant offer” to release Griner from her “unacceptable and wrongful, wrongful detentions.”
“I can also tell you that in the subsequent weeks despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with Russians through all available channels,” she said. “This continues to be a top priority.”