Last month, WNBA star Brittney Griner, was arrested at a Russian airport for having vape cartridges in her possession. Since her detainment, there has been no report on her status. Over the weekend, a photo of the Phoenix Mercury center was shown on Russian state TV. Griner is holding a piece of paper with her name handwritten in large letters.
The photo was taken at a Moscow police station around the time of her arrest. Russian Customs stated on Saturday that the basketball player was arrested for having oil-based cannabis cartridges in her luggage. She has been in jail for the past three weeks.
Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner's agent, said in a statement about her arrest on Saturday, "We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.
"As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."
Since 2015, Griner has played for Ekaterinburg in the Euroleague during the WNBA offseason, which explains why she was traveling there. Over a dozen WNBA players were scheduled to play in Russia and Ukraine, however, due to the ongoing war, they have all left those countries.
If Griner is convicted of drug smuggling she could be looking at five to ten years in a Russian prison.
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