Brittany Giner was nowhere to be found during Team USA’s glorious run to a gold medal in the wlomen’s World Cup basketball tournament.
The best post player in the world who was playing for a Russian club team during the WNBA off season,was locked away in a Russian prison after being arrested in February at a Moscow airport and receiving a nine year prison sentence for drug possesson.
Griner is facing a hearing later this month for her appeal. But her husband Cherelle Griner told ”CBS Mornings” that her she is at her “absolute weakest moment in life right now.”’
“She’s very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia and completely used to the point of her detriment,,” Cherelle said, adding that Brittany told her in a phone call her life doesn’t matter. .
“like y’all don’t see he need to get me back home? Am I notihng?” Cherelle quoted Brittany as telling her.
Griner was front page news early, but her sitiuation has drifted into the background over the past two months. She’s past the news cycle.
Griner picked the absolutely wrong time to be detained in that country. Russia had just invaded the Ukraine and relatonships between the US and the Russians had turned bitter. Griner’s problems escalated when she was convicted Aug 4 after Russian police said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. Her defense lawyers said she had been perscribed cannabis for pain and Griner said she had inadverantly packed them with no criminal intent.
The appeal is scheduled for Oct 25 But after the hearing there is a possibility she would be moved to a labor camp elsewhere in Russia.
This the first time we’ve seen a celebrity athlete involved in something like this. But women’s basketball offers itsWNBA stars to make seven figure money playing overseas, particularly in Russia The rewards are great, but so are the risks
The White House has been trying to negotiate the release of Griner and Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned and reportedly even offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian armed dealer imprisoned in America, in a trade. But it appears Russian president Vladimir Putin will have a final say. Griner has only spoken to her husband twice since her detainment and her mood had obviously changed, “You could hear that she was not Ok,” Cherelle said.
