WNBA star Brittney Griner is reportedly being held by Russian authorities after they allegedly found hashish oil on her while she was attempting to leave the country. At a moment when the world’s eyes are on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the basketball player’s arrest has been surrounded by an extra layer of tension.
Griner, a member of the Phoenix Mercury, was playing professionally in Russia during the WNBA’s offseason. Griner is a seven-time all-star with the Mercury and won a championship with the team in 2014. She’s also a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and won a national championship at Baylor University.
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As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued, on March 5, the State Department urged all U.S. citizens in the country to leave and also issued a “do not travel” advisory for the country.
Here’s what to know about the arrest.
Why is Brittney Griner being detained in Russia?
Griner has spent the last seven off-seasons playing in Russia. She was playing for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team this year. Her last game was on Jan. 29.
In that, there was nothing unusual about Griner’s situation. Griner was one of a handful in Russia specifically. In a lot of situations, they’re paid more oversees than they are in the United State. Griner, for example, made $227,900 dollars a year playing in the WNBA, but in Russia she was reportedly paid over $1 million a year. Other WNBA players to have competed in Russia during the off-season include Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, and Connecticut Sun center Jonquel Jones.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that Russian officials had Griner in custody after they found a vape pen with hashish oil in her luggage as she was going through security at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. A video released by the Russian Federal Customs Service appears to show Griner going through security.
The precise date of her arrest is not publicly known. Griner’s agent did…
Source : time
