This morning news broke that WNBA star, Brittney Griner, was arrested in Russia on charges of drug smuggling.
According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, they had detained an American basketball player, which turned out to be Griner, after finding vape cartridges and hashish oil in her luggage.
“As a U.S. citizen was passing through the green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo Customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage,” said the Russian Federal Customs Service in a statement. “The customs inspection of the hand luggage being carried by the U.S. citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with specifically-smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil), which is a narcotic substance.”
The security footage that captured Griner was from the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow in February, which means that the incident is assumed to have taken place at least a week ago.
Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, released a statement regarding her client.
“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 W.N.B.A. and N.B.A.
“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.”
Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, release a statement on Twitter.
“We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia,” tweeted Phoenix. “We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the NBA 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.”
The WNBA also voiced their support for Griner in a statement to USA Today Sports.
“Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”
Griner’s detainment comes during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which escalates by the day.
While the United States hasn’t officially intervened in the embattled country’s fight for survival, Griner’s arrest adds fuel to the fire started by Russia’s attack.
Many WNBA players compete for teams in Russia to supplement their earnings, and while the WNBA confirmed that all of their players had left the country at the start of the invasion, Griner, who played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg, was the last player still there.
Now, according to Yahoo Sports, a criminal case has “been opened into the ‘large-scale transportation of drugs.’ In Russia, a conviction on those charges carries a sentence of 5-10 years in prison.”
We will keep you updated on the situation.
