It was revealed this Saturday that WNBA star Brittney Griner is being detained in Russia due to an incident at an airport near Moscow.
According to a report from the New York Times, Russian officials detained Griner because they found hashish oil in her luggage. This arrest reportedly happened in February, as Griner was arriving at the airport from New York.
Shortly after this news broke on Saturday morning, the WNBA released a statement about Griner.
“Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States,” the WNBA said in its statement.
WNBA statement on the developing Brittney Griner situation in Russia:
“Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”#WNBA
— Andrew Joe Potter (@AndrewJoePotter) March 5, 2022
Griner’s WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, has also released a statement on this situation.
“We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia,” the Mercury said. “We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”
Customs Service in Russia states that a criminal case has been opened because of “large-scale transportation of drugs.”
A conviction on those charges carries a sentence of 5-10 years in prison in Russia. We’ll provide more updates on Griner’s situation when they’re available.
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