RT.com
05 Aug 2022, 14:43 GMT+10
The WNBA and NBA issued a joint statement after the women's star was jailed in Russia
Basketball officials in America have said that the nine-year prison sentence handed out to women's player Brittney Griner in her Russian drugs trial was not "unexpected."
Griner was sentenced at Khimki City Court just outside Moscow on Thursday after she was found guilty of attempting to bring illegal drugs into the country.
"Today's verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a joint statement.
"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States."
Griner, 31, was initially detained in February when hashish oil vape cartridges were found in her luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport on the outskirts of the Russian capital.
The two-time Olympic champion had pleaded guilty in her case, saying that the cartridges had ended up in her luggage by mistake when she was packing in a hurry, and that she had not intended to break Russian law.
Griner usually plays for WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury in her homeland, but has traveled to Russia to appear for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the offseason since 2015.
Griner's case has drawn widespread attention, including at political level. The US has formally classified her as "wrongfully detained", with claims from some quarters that she is being used as a political pawn.
Moscow has consistently refuted claims that Griner's case is political, noting that she broke Russian law and must face the consequences like anyone else.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Washington had made an offer of a prisoner swap featuring Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, who is serving a sentence in Russia on espionage charges.
Blinken held a call with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov last week, although Moscow did not specify the details of any possible prisoner swap.
Media reports have claimed that Russian citizen Viktor Bout, who is serving 25 years in a US prison for arms dealing, could be part of a deal.
Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national convicted of murder in Germany last year, was also named in some reports regarding a potential prisoner exchange.
Responding to the news of Griner's sentence on Thursday, US leader Biden claimed it was "unacceptable" and called on Russia "to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."
Both the NBA and WNBA have held publicity campaigns in support of Griner during her detention in Russia.
Her wife, Cherelle, has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the Biden administration over its handling of the situation.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of San Jose Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to San Jose Sun.
More InformationABU DHABI, 3rd July, 2025 (WAM) -- The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the National Basketball Association...
Washington DC [US], June 30 (ANI): Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were recently spotted spending quality time together in New York....
Washington [US], June 29 (ANI): Justin Bieber's little bundle of joy, son Jack Blues, who is just 10 months old, seems to be already...
BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week: 1. China's Wang Xinyu finishes runner-up...
ESPN's extensive programming surrounding the 2025 college football season kicks off with coverage of conference media days throughout...
ESPN today announced an update to its 2025 Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One schedule. On July 20, the American League-leading...
NEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...