It’s still not clear exactly when US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested or where she is now.
Griner,31, is a championship-winning player with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and spends her offseasons playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg. Now, the mystery surrounding her detainment in Russia has come to symbolize the growing tensions between the US and Russia during Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine. Here’s what we know (and don’t) about what happened to the two-time Olympic champion: Why was Griner detained? The Russian Federal Customs Service said an American was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after being found with hash oil. “As a US citizen was passing through the green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage,” a statement from the customs service said. “The customs inspection of the hand luggage being carried by the US citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with specifically smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil), which is a narcotic substance.” The Russian statement did not identify Griner by name, but said the detainee is an American professional basketball player and two-time US Olympian. Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, has publicly called for the release of her wife. And USA Basketball, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury and the WNBA players’ union have all publicly shared their concerns for Griner’s situation in Russia.
