Brittney Griner? Why WNBA basketball player was jailed in Russia, what happened and where is she now

Basketball star Brittney Griner has been set free after months of “difficult” negotiations with Russia. The 31-year-old had previously been moved to a Russian penal colony after being sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison following her conviction of drug trafficking charges.

Griner was freed after a prisoner exchange for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who had been in an American prison for 12-years.

The WNBA basketball player was detained in February after travelling to Russia to play off-season when airport officials discovered cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner’s lawyers explained that she was prescribed it by Arizona health authorties to help with her chronic pain and had appealed for leniency.

The use of cannabis is illegal in Russia, however her arrest and harsh sentence took place just one week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Griner was described as being wrongly detained under “intolerable circumstances” by the US State Department.

In an address from the White House, President Joe Biden said he had spoken with Griner and that she was “in good spirits”. He added: “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Brittney Griner and why she’s being moved.

Who is Brittney Griner?

The 31-year-old is one of the most successful basketball players of her generation. During her career playing for the WNBA team Phoenix Mercury she has won WNBA and Euroleague titles as well as two Olympic gold medals in 2016 and 2020.

The Olympic winning medalist is 2.6m or 6 ft 9 inches and has played for the Euroleague team UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014 during the off-season. She was travelling there when she got detained.

Griner came out as gay in 2013 and married her partner Cherelle Watson in 2019.

Why was she detained in Russia?

The basketball player was detained at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow in February after airport officials discovered cannabis oil and a vape in her luggage. The substance is illegal in Russia and possession of the drug comes with a hefty jail sentence.

The incident also took place a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, which led to heightened tensions with the west. Relations between America and Russia are at an all time low, with the Biden administration hitting out against Putin for his role in the war in Ukraine.

At the time, Griner was described as being wrongly detained under “intolerable circumstances” by the US State Department.

The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken took to Twitter to reiterate their commitement to bringing her home.

He tweeted: “We strongly protest the movement of Brittney Griner to a remote penal colony and the Russian government’s use of wrongful detentions. I am committed to bringing home Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan as soon as possible.

What did she plead guilty to?

Griner pleaded guilty to unknowingly bringing cannabis oil vape cartridges into Moscow in February 2022. She stated that she had packed them by accident and had not intentionally broken Russian law.

In her statement she said: “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law. I was in a rush packing and the cartridges accidentally ended up in my bag.”

Her lawyer Maria Blagovolina told the press outside of the courtroom that they “hope for leniency of the court.” Adding: “Considering all the circumstances of the case, taking into account the personality of our client, we believe that the admission of guilt should certainly be taken into account.’’

What has President Biden said?

In an address from the White House, President Biden said he had spoken with Griner and that she was “in good spirits”. He added: “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances. Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along.”

However the prisoner deal did not include American Paul Whelan who has been jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges both his family and the US government dispute. President Biden added: “Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up.”

What has her wife said?

Griner’s wife, Cherelle said she was: “overwhelmed with emotion”. Standing beside President Biden and vice-president, Kamala Harris she added: “The most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration. He just mentioned this work is not easy, and it has not been. Today my family is whole, but as you all are aware, there’s so many other families who are not whole. [Brittney] is not here to say this but I will gladly speak on her behalf and say that BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today.”