Tag: Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner has reportedly been detained in Russia. Here’s everything we know so far

This is pretty terrifying.

In what can only be defined as some pretty terrifying news, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has been detained by Russian authorities at an airport near Moscow, according to a report from the New York Times’ Jonathan Abrams.

The report of Griner’s detainment follows last week’s news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and escalating tensions with other nations around the world because of the invasion.

Griner was detained after the Russian Federal Customs Service reportedly found vape cartridges in her luggage that contained hashish oil. The customs service didn’t originally identify the detainee as Griner — they only said they’d detained an “American basketball player” on Saturday. It was only revealed to be Griner later on by a Russian news agency.

This is a pretty sticky and horrifying situation. Here’s what we know about it so far.

Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges

WNBA star Brittney Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in February in Russia on drug smuggling charges and could be facing 5-10 years in prison in the country, per Russian news outlet Interfax. Griner was spending the offseason playing in the Euroleague and was heading to Moscow from New York last month before officials found vape cartridges in her luggage, which are illegal in Russia. A drug-sniffing dog ultimately found cannabis oil, aka weed, in her bag and later identified her as a WNBA player. There has been no indication that Brittany Griner has been released.

The 31-year-old hasn’t posted on …

The 31-year-old hasn’t posted on Instagram since February 5th, which is concerning in itself. The Mercury have yet to comment on the situation, but it must be extremely scary for Griner, who is stuck in a foreign country in custody. Griner has actually been playing in the WNBA offseason in Russia for Ekaterinburg since 2015 without running into any issues. Here is the statement from Russian officials: “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,” the Russian Federal Customs Service said 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 Customs Service released a video of …

The Customs Service released a video of a traveler at the airport who appeared to be Griner, wearing a mask and black sweatshirt, going through security. The video showed an individual removing a package from the traveler’s bag. According to the statement, a criminal case has been opened into the large-scale transportation of drugs, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars in Russia. The basketball player was taken into custody while the investigation was ongoing, the officials said.

In a statement, the Mercury said: “We …

In a statement, the Mercury said: “We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia. We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the W.N.B.A. and N.B.A. 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 W.N.B.A. said in a statement that Griner “has the W.N.B.A.’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton and …

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner are using the power of gaming and social media to raise money for COVID-19 relief and social justice. Ayton and Griner are two of 11 athletes joining forces with Facebook Gaming to livestream games exclusively on Facebook and their own Facebook pages using a Live Donate button to raise money for two of the most prominent causes in the United States and beyond.

Facebook is also donating $20,000 to …

Facebook is also donating $20,000 to the charity of choice for Ayton, Griner and nine other athletes – Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz), Julian Edelman (New England Patriots), Allie Long, (U.S. Soccer/Reign FC), Alex Caruso (Los Angeles Lakers), Bogdan Bogdanović (Sacramento Kings), JaVale McGee (Los Angeles Lakers), Josh Richardson (Philadelphia 76ers), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) and Tacko Fall (Boston Celtics).

Ben Simmons’ Nike Blazer Mid ’77 …

Ben Simmons’ Nike Blazer Mid ’77 Motivation debuts Thursday at House of Hoops by Foot Locker and online at footlocker.com. The 76ers point guard’s new sneaker is part of a Nike series recognizing the motivational phrases and pregame rituals of standouts that include Simmons, Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić, Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner.