The WNBA won’t let Brittney Griner down. The boss of the North American women’s basketball league, Cathy Engelbert, has renewed her support for American star Brittney Griner, detained in Russia since February 17 and accused of possession of narcotics. “We know she’s fine but we want her to come home,” Cathy Engelbert said ahead of Monday night’s 2022 WNBA Draft.
“We are doing everything we can, alongside his lawyers, his agent, elected officials and the administration. Getting her home safely is our number one priority,” she added. In mid-March, the Russian news agency TASS announced that the detention of the basketball player was extended until May 19. She faces 5 to 10 years in prison.
Two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner was arrested in possession of an e-cigarette and cannabis oil as she arrived at Moscow airport. The product, authorized in the United States, is considered illegal in Russia. The Phoenix Mercury player came to Russia to join her second team, UMMC Yekaterinburg, with which she has been playing part of the season since 2016. Since then, only one photo of Brittney Griner has been published, in which we see the 2m06 player leaning against a wall, holding in her hands a white sheet on which her name is written.