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Brittney Griner's detention in Russia extended through at least July 2.

After Biden Meeting, Brittney Griner's Wife Recalls 'Grueling 7 Months'​


The families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, U.S. citizens detained in Russia, pushed for their loved ones' release during separate meeting with President Joe Biden on Friday. But relatives said that each passing day still feels like a "waiting game." Paul Whelan is a former U.S. Marine imprisoned in Russia after being arrested in 2018 on espionage charges. His sister, Elizabeth Whelan, called the opportunity to meet with Biden "an exceptional honor," and she promised to continue advocating for her brother and "all other Americans wrongfully detained." "Hostage-diplomacy is a national security as well as a humanitarian issue," she wrote to Newsweek. "When hostile foreign nations take Americans and hold them as pawns, we must work together with vigor to reunite those wrongfully detained with their families, and deter these countries from continuing this malign practice."

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Brittney Griner’s absence from the World Cup is weighing on her US teammates: ‘It’s on their minds every day. It’s heavy.’​


Brittney Griner’s absence is weighing on the minds of her USA Basketball teammates, who are trying to fill the void created by her absence as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup.The Americans are expected to win without Griner, but replacing her spirit and impact on and off the court is a challenge. Griner starred for the U.S. in the last two Olympics, but she is not with the team in Australia. The 31-year-old center is 9,000 miles away in a Russian jail after being sentenced last month to nine years in prison for drug possession. “We’re missing the fun-loving person that she was,” U.S. star Breanna Stewart said. “Someone who could bring a group together and was able to hold a conversation with anybody and that shows how grounded she is. The way she cared about people is something you don’t see all the time, especially in superstars. We miss her and we hope she’ll be home soon.”

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Legendary Boxer Roy Jones Jr. Willing to 'Put His Life On The Line' to Free Brittney Griner​


Most recently, in an interview with TAZ Sports, boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has publicly supported his support for the former Bears star. Jones maintains dual citizenship in both the United States and is more than willing to go to Russia himself to help bring Griner home. "I know what that girl's family is going through right now, and I feel for them," Jones said. "Would I put my life on the line, take a chance to go to Russia to exchange prisoners? Yes, I would." "Why? Because if it was my daughter, I would want somebody to do the same thing for me. "Russia maintains an open stance on a potential prisoner swap to send Griner home, with Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that Russia is willing to negotiate. "We have stated many times that we are ready for negotiations to resolve the fate of U.S. citizens convicted in Russia and Russian citizens in the U.S," Zakharova said.

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Top WNBA players are turning down high salaries and opting not to play in Russia to protest Brittney Griner's imprisonment — eyeing other countries like Turkey and Hungary​


  • Top WNBA players have decided not to play in Russia during the offseason this year, despite high-earnings.
  • Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones will play in other countries like Turkey and Hungary.
  • Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in prison in Russia this past August.
WNBA players are deciding not to play in Russia during the offseason amid Brittney Griner's imprisonment in the country — eyeing other countries, like Turkey and Hungary, instead. Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones, all of who have played for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg team with Griner, are opting out of playing in the country this winter, according to The Associated Press, despite the potential to earn millions hooping there.Stewart told the outlet that players don't want to play in Russia until Griner, the WNBA superstar who was recently sentenced to 9 years behind bars, is free. "Honestly, my time in Russia has been wonderful, but especially with BG still wrongfully detained there, nobody's going to go there until she's home," Stewart, who is going to play in Turkey, told the AP. "I think that, you know, now, people want to go overseas, and if the money is not much different, they want to be in a better place."

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How Brittney Griner's absence affects Team USA at 2022 FIBA World Cup​


The 2022 FIBA World Cup will be the first major competition that the U.S. women's basketball team will compete in without Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner since the 2012 Summer Olympics. The World Cup, which starts Wednesday in Sydney, will be a poignant marker for the women's basketball world that one of its most recognizable stars of the past decade is facing an uncertain future in a Russian prison. Griner, the No. 1 WNBA draft pick in 2013, has been an enthusiastic participant in USA Basketball senior national team events since she made the squad for the 2014 World Cup, which she played in just a couple of weeks after winning the WNBA title with the Mercury. In the Tokyo Olympics last year, Griner averaged 16.5 points, tied for the U.S. lead with Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson, and 7.2 rebounds.

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WNBA Players Refusing To Play In Russia In Protest Of Brittney Griner’s Imprisonment​


Top salaried WNBA players are opting out of playing in Russia during the offseason as Brittney Griner is still incarcerated in the country on cannabis charges, according to the Associated Press. Per the outlet, WNBA stars Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones — who have all played for Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg team with Griner — are turning down millions of dollars to play in another country this winter, with Turkey and Hungary looking like high prospects.


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Kim Mulkey's lack of compassion for Brittney Griner shouldn't surprise you because she's already shown us exactly who she is​


Brittney Griner’s wrongful detainment in Russia has truly revealed how much she means to so many people. She’s loved, she’s idolized, she’s adored. Everyone has kind things to say about the sort of person she is. They’re constantly rooting for her safe return home and, with every passing day, the general public questions more and more why it hasn’t happened yet. None of that applies to her former head coach at Baylor, Kim Mulkey, who doesn’t seem to see Brittney Griner as more than a career stepping stone. She has nothing good to say about her former player. She has no words of encouragement for her family or a kind sentiment to share to the public. In fact, apparently, she has nothing to say at all.

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Russian court sets Brittney Griner's appeal hearing for Oct. 25​


A Russian court on Monday set Oct. 25 as the date for American basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. Griner, an eight-time All-Star center with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The Moscow region court said it will hear her appeal. Her February arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At the time, Griner, recognized as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, was returning to Russia, where she played during the U.S. league's offseason. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be "wrongfully detained" -- a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.


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Brittney Griner’s Wife Recounts ‘Disturbing’ Call From Russia​


Cherelle Griner discussed her conversation with the eight-time WNBA All-Star who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence in Russia. Cherelle recounted the conversation and described the eight-time WNBA All-Star’s mental state as she serves a nine-year prison sentence in Russia. The Mercury star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to drug charges in July and was convicted by a Russian court of smuggling drugs with criminal intent in August. Brittney has an appeal hearing scheduled for Oct. 25. Cherelle said the pair have had limited communication and spoke for the first time during Brittney’s detainment in August, six months after she was taken into custody. Regarding that conversation with Brittney, Cherelle said it was “delightful” to hear her voice and felt Brittney could get through the ordeal.The next conversation was a stark contrast, with Cherelle saying, “I think I cried for two, three days straight. I did not get out of my bed” afterward.

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Brittney Griner at 'weakest moment' in Russia, wife says​


WNBA star Brittney Griner is at her "absolute weakest moment in life right now" as she faces a hearing in Russia later this month for her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession, Griner's wife said in an interview that aired Thursday. Cherelle Griner told "CBS Mornings" that her wife, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who was playing in Russia during the WNBA offseason, is afraid of being forgotten by the United States. "She's very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia," Cherelle Griner said. President Joe Biden met with Cherelle Griner at the White House last month. He also sat down with Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia.

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Biden Sees No Movement in Griner Case After Promise to Work for Release​


U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday morning that he sees no movement toward the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison. While fielding questions from reporters near the White House, Biden was asked if he has seen any movement after he said he was open to discussing it with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Not with Putin," Biden said in response to the question. Biden's comments come shortly after he spoke about a possible meeting with Putin to discuss the release of Griner, a Olympic gold medalist who was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison on drug charges. Shortly after Griner was detained, Biden promised that the U.S. would work for her release, saying in a statement that "it's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."

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As Russian Appeal Approaches, Brittney Griner Worried She'll Serve Full 9-Year Sentence​


As the date of her appeal in Russia court approaches, WNBA star Brittney Griner is growing increasingly anxious about her situation. According to Yahoo! News, her lawyer Alexander D. Boykov says the athlete’s outlook on her situation has changed. “She has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in,” he said. The Phoenix Mercury center’s appeal of her nine-year sentence for drug possession and smuggling is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 25. If her appeal is denied, which it likely will be, she can then be sent to a labor camp. Boykov added that the eight-time WNBA All-Star is very worried about what prison she will end up in, as “she fears it will be one with miserable or inhumane conditions.” “She is not yet absolutely convinced that America will be able to take her home,” Boykov said. “She is very worried about what the price of that will be, and she is afraid that she will have to serve the whole sentence here in Russia.”

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WNBA Star Brittney Griner Release Is Not A Main Concern, Russian Aide Declares – Update​


An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release is not imminent. “In this tense situation, I think that he (Biden) is thinking first and foremost about the upcoming midterm elections,” said Yury Ushakov on state-run TV program Moscow.Kremlin.Putin. “He keeps emphasizing the need to bring (Griner) back home… However, it’s not the main issue that we are concerned about.” The US and Russia have been discussing a potential prisoner swap, but the talks have yet to bear fruit.

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Russia says Biden’s exaggerating chances of Brittney Griner release to help in the midterms​


An aide to Russian president Vladimir Putin has claimed that Joe Biden has over exaggerated the chances of securing Brittney Griner’s release from jail because of the upcoming midterm elections in the US. Speaking with Russian news agency TASS on Sunday, Yury Ushakov was reported as saying that the US President’s efforts to secure Ms Griner’s release from a jail near Moscow were second to the midterm elections in the US. “In this tense situation, I think that he is thinking first and foremost about the upcoming midterm elections,” the Kremlin aide was reported as telling TASS per both Axios and Newseek. “So he keeps emphasising the need to bring back home the basketball player who was detained for drug smuggling. However, it’s not the main issue that we are concerned about.”

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Brittney Griner thanks supporters for their love on her 32nd birthday as WNBA, NBA players share well wishes​


WNBA star Brittney Griner is spending her 32nd birthday in a Russian jail cell. On Tuesday, she shared a message for her supporters through her lawyers. Meanwhile, players, coaches, and others have shared their best wishes on social media. As reported by CNN, Griner's attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, spent a few hours with her on her birthday. Before they left, she gave them a statement to share with everyone who has been supporting her. As of Oct. 18, the Phoenix Mercury center has been detained in Russia for 243 days. On Feb. 17, customs service at Sheremetyevo International Airport searched her luggage and found vape cartridges containing the marijuana concentrate hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia.

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