Brittney Griner

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Monday she and the league are still fighting like hell to bring Brittney Griner back from Russia ... telling ...

"This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in," Engelbert said. "She continues to have our full support. "I know we're all frustrated, but we do need to be patient," Engelbert said.

Associated Press. Tue 12 Apr 2022 08.43 EDT. Moments before Rhyne Howard went to Atlanta with the No 1 pick in the WNBA draft, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert ...

“For it to be so close is huge. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in,” Engelbert said. “Please know that getting her home safely continues to be our top priority and while we are facing an extraordinarily complex challenge, there is strength in community, especially the WNBA.”

On Tuesday, WNBA players union president Nneka Ogwumike appeared on ABC's “Good Morning America” and made clear that she and her colleagues in the league ...

"A lot of that had to do about educating ourselves about the details of what was going on as much as we could know, but then understanding how important it was for us to be strategic about when and how we speak about her." A supermax salary in the WNBA could earn a player just over $221,000 for the regular season. We go over there to supplement our incomes and quite frankly we go over there to maintain our game. But the reality is, she’s over there because of a gender issue – pay inequity," she said. … You know us, we move intentionally and given the nature of Brittney’s situation when it happened it was very important for us to be intentional about doing the best thing to make sure we don’t compromise her coming home," Ogwumike said. Ogwumike told Roberts that players had to get all the details about Griner’s situation first before saying anything in case they unintentionally compromised her situation in Moscow.

First, the timing is suspicious. Griner was detained in February, during Russia's preparations to invade Ukraine. Then, the news about her detention was ...

The U.S. and Canada allow victims of hostage-taking to sue states, but only if those states are included on lists of state sponsors of terrorism. Brittney Griner is in Russian detention and may be there for geopolitical gains wholly unrelated to any of her actions. Regardless of a president’s personal style, the matter of hostage-taking should be elevated to a priority within the administration, and any successful strategies should be used more widely. Zooming out from individual cases, the problem of global hostage-taking should also be legally addressed in the aggregate, as a pattern of state behavior, by international and national prosecutors who can charge these cases as crimes against humanity. It isn’t just a political scuffle in which a series of hapless victims are collateral damage to big-power politics. Hostage-taking needs to be recognized for what it is: a series of human rights violations in contravention of globally recognized rights. Presidents both Republican and Democratic have long held to a “no-concessions” hostage policy, in which ransom payments and blackmail were considered off-limits for fear of encouraging more hostage-taking in the long term. State-sponsored hostage-taking is a truly global problem, and it requires a robust global solution. They are wives, mothers, husbands, fathers and children who usually have no connection to the trumped-up charges against them. And this isn’t just a U.S. problem. And Griner was purportedly denied consular access — a basic right of any foreign national in detention — until March 23. This may be due to a desire by the U.S. government, the WNBA and her family to keep matters quiet for strategic reasons or for other factors, such as racial disparities in missing persons coverage.

Nneka Ogwumike speaks exclusively to ABC News about Griner's detainment.

It's disappointing that the question of it being a gender issue is top of mind now when it comes to this type of circumstance and the reality is she's over there because of a gender issue, pay inequity," she said. We go over there to supplement our incomes and quite frankly to maintain our game. The 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February, one week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian customs released video that appeared to show Griner going through security at an airport near Moscow and an airport employee removing a package from her bag. "A lot of that had to do with educating ourselves about the details of what was going on. But then understanding how important it was for us to be strategic about when and how we speak about her." "We move intentionally and given the nature of Brittney's situation -- it was very important for us to be intentional about doing the best thing to ensure that we don't compromise her coming home," Ogwumike told Robin Roberts in an exclusive interview.

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Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for several months now on alleged drug charges. Roughly half of all WNBA players compete overseas during the off-season. If convicted, she could face up to ten years in prison.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has claimed she is “trying everything” to bring Brittney Griner back to the United States.

“I know the players have been amazing at following the advice that they’re getting and we’re getting in order not to jeopardise her safety in any way. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in.” Engelbert thanked the players for following this advice. “The activations that we will do, the Mercury will lead, are intended to remind us of BG’s spirit of giving and do the work she’d be doing if she were here and certainly the work she will join us in when she returns.” Engelbert announced a philanthropic effort would be launched to honour Griner in the run-up to the 2022 WNBA season. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has claimed she is “trying everything” to bring Brittney Griner back to the United States.

Rhyne Howard went to Atlanta with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on a night there was a lot of support for Brittney Griner.

Indiana hasn’t had much luck in the draft the past couple years, with none of the team’s first-round picks from the last three seasons still on the roster. Indiana, which had four picks in the first round, drafted NaLyssa Smith from Baylor with the No. 2 pick and her Bears teammate Queen Egbo at 10. Atlanta finished 8-24 last season and has missed the playoffs four of the past five years. “For it to be so close is huge. “Please know that getting her home safely continues to be our top priority and while we are facing an extraordinarily complex challenge, there is strength in community, especially the WNBA.” “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in,” Engelbert said.

The #WNBA commissioner has reaffirmed the league's support for #BrittneyGriner who has been detained in Russia since February #unCrazed.

“I know we’re all frustrated, but we do need to be patient. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in.” “I can’t be any more real about the situation that she’s in.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her concern about Phoenix Mercury C Brittney Griner prior to last night's WNBA Draft in N.Y..

In his book, The Power of Playing Offense, Epstein takes a people-first approach to help leaders elevate purpose, performance and impact. The draft capped a weekend of WNBA events across N.Y., "including shoot-arounds at neighborhood playgrounds and a visit to one of the city’s top sneaker shops." South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and fellow Basketball HOFer Lisa Leslie "posed with draft prospects before the ESPN coverage began." Colorful pantsuits, rhinestone jackets and "plenty of high heels and sneakers alike filled the TriBeCa event space." Last night marked the WNBA's first in-person draft since '19, and "players and guests did not hold back from celebrating." She said, "This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in.

WNBA officials are growing concerned for Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who has been held captive nearly two months in Russia and faces up to...

The 31-year-old has a contract that pays her $227,000 annually, and the Mercury are expected to honor the deal despite her predicament. But we want to get her home. Her representation is able to visit with Brittney, we know she’s safe. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. The league is offering some form of salary relief while Griner is unavailable. Russian media reported Griner would be detained until at least May 19, which is two weeks into the WNBA regular season.

Phoenix Mercury, WNBA are in discussions about potential roster relief as the detention of Brittney Griner continues and season nears.

But she was dominant in college, a four-time Player of the Year in the Horizon League who helped the Jaguars to two Horizon League titles. Phoenix already was going to enter training camp with two roster spots available for players to earn, which their cap situation left them with enough space to add two more players at the higher veteran’s minimum deals — and just barely. “And it’s so wonderful to hear all of the players jumping right in to have her back. But Rowe also said the Mercury and the WNBA are “in discussions” on the basketball side to try and figure out what Rowe called “roster relief” considering the situation. “But at the same time, I do believe she graduated from Stanford with an engineering degree and is a graduate student at Notre Dame. So, I mean, best of both worlds. She just fits in the skillset that we’re looking for from that position as a bench player.” Now, after not getting to stay in college, she’ll end up playing professionally in Phoenix, alongside two former Irish (Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brianna Turner) and for a head coach who went to her original school. But she’s been seen as a high-potential player going all the way back to high school, when she was a McDonald’s All-American, five-star recruit who even was the captain of Team USA’s 2016 U17 team. On Monday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that a “league-wide philanthropic initiative” will take place and focus on the Heart and Sole Shoe Drive organization Griner founded in 2016. For Griner, new head coach Vanessa Nygaard indicated that the Mercury don’t want to close the door on her season yet — but also find some way to help the team out with their roster situation. Draft night is usually an extremely exciting time for all teams in the WNBA, a day to celebrate new players joining the roster as training camp draws ever so nearer. The non-suspension is key on two fronts, as any players who have their contracts suspended don’t get the payment from them and can’t play.

WNBA player Brittney Griner was arrested and detained in Russia in February after authorities allegedly found vape cartridges containing hash oil in her ...

"The consular officer who visited with Brittney Griner was able to verify that she was doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances," he said. "Quite frankly, we go over there to maintain our game," Ogwumike continued. We're hearing in that respect, she's okay, but we want her home." Ogwumike also revealed why she is speaking about the arrest now. The Phoenix Mercury star center has been detained in Russia since her arrest, and Ogwumike said, "BG [Griner] is us, we are BG." Pay inequity."

WNBA officials are growing concerned for Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who has been held captive nearly two months in Russia and faces up to...

The 31-year-old has a contract that pays her $227,000 annually, and the Mercury are expected to honor the deal despite her predicament. But we want to get her home. Her representation is able to visit with Brittney, we know she’s safe. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. The league is offering some form of salary relief while Griner is unavailable. Russian media reported Griner would be detained until at least May 19, which is two weeks into the WNBA regular season.

"Certainly we're trying everything we can, every angle," WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert says of efforts to bring Brittney Griner home.

It was very important for us to be intentional about doing the best thing to ensure that we don't compromise her coming home," Ogwumike told host Robin Roberts. "A lot of that had to do with educating ourselves about the details of what was going on. "It's disappointing that the question of it being a gender issue is top of mind now when it comes to this type of circumstance and the reality is she's over there because of a gender issue, pay inequity," Ogwumike said. But then understanding how important it was for us to be strategic about when and how we speak about her." "That will take place in all 12 WNBA markets as we lead up to tip-off in less than a month. The Olympic gold medalist and seven-time WNBA All-Star was accused of carrying cannabis oil in her luggage and smuggling a narcotic substance. Certainly we're trying everything we can, every angle, working through with her legal representation, her agent, elected leaders, the administration, just everybody in our ecosystem to try to find ways to get her home safely and as quickly as we can.