Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Sunday the U.S. is ready to “provide every possible assistance” to seven-time All-Star WNBA center Brittney Griner, who was arrested after Russian authorities reportedly found cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage. Griner is believed to have been incarcerated since February in Russia, where transporting drugs carries a sentence of up to 10 years.
“There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point,” Blinken said about Griner. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.
“We have an embassy team that’s working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia,” he added. “We’re doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected.”
“Blinken intentionally kept his comments vague, even referring to Griner as ‘the individual you mentioned’ during his press conference,” Sports Illustrated said.
The Phoenix Mercury released a statement on March 5 saying:
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 WNBA and NBA. We love and support Britney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) March 5, 2022
The U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel” advisory for Russia in January, but players such as Griner can earn ten times more in salary by playing in the country. The Wall Street Journal reported:
The market for talent lures stars to Russia, where they can command more than $1 million in salary and benefits, 10 times what they have traditionally made in the WNBA. Since 2014, Griner has left the warmth of Phoenix in the WNBA offseason for the cold of Yekaterinburg, a city on the edge of Siberia where the powerhouse team wins championships and pays lavishly.
Russian state media released a photograph of Griner over the weekend:
Russian state TV has released a photo of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was arrested on drug charges in the country after Russian officials say cannabis oil was found in her luggage. CNN's @RosaFlores has the story. pic.twitter.com/SzB9MSSQfY
— CNN (@CNN) March 8, 2022
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