Brittney Griner

Following the release of Trevor Reed from Russian prison, the public has been curious to find out why Brittney Griner is still detained in Russia.

On March 5th 2022, Russian Federal Customs Service issued a statement confirming in February they had detained a basketball player at the airport. The outlet noted that the WNBA star’s legal team had been able to visit her in jail on several occasions. Griner’s agent Lindsay Colas later issued a statement to the Guardian. It said: “We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.”

The release of Trevor Reed has refocused attention on WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since mid-February.

“The consular officer who visited with Brittney Griner was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances,” Price said in a March 23 news conference. The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. “It’s a community that chooses its words carefully, that’s used to moving together as a unit. Griner’s arrest came as she was returning to Russia, where she often plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. We’re in regular contact with her team, we regularly are engaging through our embassy in Moscow with their counterparts in order to see to it that she’s treated fairly, to see to it that we have the consistent access to her that the Russians are required under the Vienna convention to provide. On Wednesday, Reed, a Marine veteran imprisoned on charges that U.S. officials viewed as bogus, was swapped for a Russian drug trafficker serving a lengthy prison sentence in the United States. Reed has recently been ill with tuberculosis, and his parents had lobbied for a prisoner swap.

The release of Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been detained in Russia for three years, is strengthening calls on social media that highlight ...

The U.S. negotiated a trade for Reed and a Russian national who had been convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking conspiracy charges. The release of Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been detained in Russia for three years, is strengthening calls on social media that highlight Moscow’s imprisonment of women’s basketball star Brittney Griner, who has been held since February.

As news spread of Russia releasing U.S. marine veteran Trevor Reed Wednesday, questions about whether WNBA star Brittney Griner could be next also began to ...

However, as the start of the WNBA season approaches next week, some of Griner's colleagues have begun to speak out about her detention. Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA and a player for the Los Angeles Sparks team, said it's important for teammates to not say anything that could potentially compromise her return. As the WNBA season approaches next week, some still wonder why Griner's detainment hasn't been more widely discussed. We won't stop until Paul Whelan and others join Trevor in the loving arms of family and friends." "Do we have any update on Brittney Griner whatsoever?" "Can we get Brittney Griner next?"

Marine veteran Trevor Reed was released from Russian custody as part of a prisoner exchange Wednesday.

In March, Griner’s detention in Russia was extended until May 19. Griner, a star player for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in February but news of her detainment was not known until March 5. “As horrible as it is for [Griner] to be detained there, we believe that may be the only way for our government to begin negotiation,” Joey Reed said in March. “She’s brought a lot more attention to all this than the two Marines ever received.”

Efforts continue by U.S. officials to secure the release of Texas native Brittney Griner, a Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star, in wake of her arrest in...

“It is a community filled with activists — including WNBA players who’ve led some of our most important cultural conversations in recent years. “I spend hours in communication every day with a dedicated group of people who are working to get BG home,” Colas wrote. “I can tell you that with the utmost certainty.

Griner, a seven-time All-Star with the Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, was arrested in February at Sheremetyevo International ...

U.S. State Department officials were granted access to meet with Griner in mid-March, Price said during a March 23 press conference. We’re in regular contact with her team, we regularly are engaging through our embassy in Moscow with their counterparts in order to see to it that she’s treated fairly, to see to it that we have the consistent access to her that the Russians are required under the Vienna convention to provide. “This is an unimaginable situation for (Griner) to be in. Griner’s arrest came when she was returning to Russia, where she plays for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. “I can tell you that with the utmost certainty. According to ESPN, the offense could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was released from a Russian prison Wednesday after being detained for three years. Is Brittney Griner next?

At the WNBA Draft on April 11, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged the “unimaginable situation” Griner is in, and promised that the leagues and its players would not forget her throughout the WNBA’s 26th season, which is set to open May 6. Earlier this year, his family said he had become severely ill after being exposed to tuberculosis in the Russian prison system, and that he was receiving no medical care. Two people who work in professional women's basketball told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday that while Reed’s release could be viewed as a positive development, it’s hard to say if it will have any impact on Griner’s situation, as she has yet to appear in court and be sentenced.

The Phoenix Mercury will have to modify their lineup throughout the beginning of the season as Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia.

The offseason has put an understandable toll on Griner's teammates with her absence being out of anyone's control. She knows what the situation is and the stance that those above are taking it and we’re following suit.” “It’s definitely difficult because us as WNBA players, we will always put our voice first on what we want to advocate for and what we care for," Mercury center Tina Charles said. The WNBA and its players are often known to be outspoken advocates for social causes, but many players have taken an under-the-radar approach regarding Griner. The selective silence is due to safety concerns in raising Griner's profile. I just love her, and I think about her every day and can’t wait until she gets back with us," Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith said on Wednesday during the team's media day. I love her ... It’s toughest on her family, they have to hear these things.

It's unclear how a freed marine veteran Trevor Reed will affect the status of the Phoenix Mercury star.

A State Department office that works to free American hostages and unjust detainees is not known to be involved. But Griner’s case is barely two months old and officials have yet to make that determination. American officials have not yet made a similar determination about Griner, meaning that their role — at least overtly — is generally confined to ensuring she has access to consular services while behind bars. Griner’s case, by contrast, has yet to wind through the Russian court system, with the evidence and facts still unclear. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in Russia for allegedly possessing a cannabis derivative legal in much of the world. The deal announced by the U.S. and Russia involving Reed, an American imprisoned for nearly three years, would have been a notable diplomatic maneuver even in times of peace.

His release immediately raised questions about the other two U.S. citizens detained in Russia, Paul Whelan and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner was taken into ...

"Making her seem more valuable only puts more power in the hands of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and makes them have a higher bar for releasing her." The State Department and Griner's supporters continue to walk the fine line they have tried to tread since she was detained: waiting to see whether she can get justice through the Russian legal system -- which many experts say is unlikely -- while keeping a low profile. Reed's parents have accused Russian officials of failing to treat a case of tuberculosis they say he contracted there, and that he was badly injured while in custody. Her next hearing is May 19, but under Russian law she can be held for up to a year before trial, and there's a strong possibility her hearing will be postponed. U.S. officials haven't yet commented on the accusations made against Griner. Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "In Brittney's case .... what I can tell you is that we're in very active contact with her team, with the WNBA as well as with her lawyers and other representatives." What happens over the next weeks and months will determine whether the government reclassifies her as a hostage. For the Reed family, that day is today. A source close to Griner said her team sees Reed's release as "encouraging," and that they feel it puts them closer to pushing the White House to reach a deal for her release. U.S. officials, sensitive to the fact that Whelan and Griner are still in custody, also went to lengths Wednesday to make it clear that Reed's case was unique, largely because of his health problems. And that's where Griner's case diverges from Reed's and Whelan's. Sources cautioned that Griner's case is a long way from resolution. The law establishes a list of criteria to determine whether someone is being held abroad wrongfully, including whether they're being given due process or there is evidence the person is innocent.

They want officials to continue pushing for the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner, former Marine Paul Whelan and any other Americans being detained in ...

An unexpected prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia leaves questions about the Phoenix Mercury's detained star player.

A State Department office that works to free American hostages and unjust detainees is not known to be involved. Price did not identify the official who had been granted consular access to Griner. American officials have not yet made a similar determination about Griner, meaning that their role — at least overtly — is generally confined to ensuring she has access to consular services while behind bars. Griner's case, by contrast, has yet to wind through the Russian court system, with the evidence and facts still unclear. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in Russia for allegedly possessing a cannabis derivative legal in much of the world. The deal announced by the U.S. and Russia involving Reed, an American imprisoned for nearly three years, would have been a notable diplomatic maneuver even in times of peace.

Cherelle Griner, who's married to WNBA star Brittney Griner, posted about her wife's current detainment in Russia after Trevor Reed was released.

I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life. I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. “As I do everything in my power to get BG home, my heart is overflowing with joy for The Reed Family,” the woman who married Griner in 2019 wrote in an Instagram post.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, who was detained at a Moscow airport after agents accused her of having of cannabis oil, remains in Russian custody.

The thing is, who is going to hold Russia responsible for upholding Russian law?" And "if our ultimate goal here is that nothing horrific happens to Britney Griner in custody," then keeping attention on the issue is paramount. "The fact that Reed has been released doesn't mean that [Griner is] necessarily going to be released," Solomon said. "Her sexual orientation, her tattoos, the fact that she's Black." Solomon explained that both Griner and Reed, along with fellow former US Marine Paul Whelan, were the three prominent "political detainees" in Russian custody. "She literally is the most high-profile male or female [American] athlete in Russia, so she's the perfect person to grab," Solomon, who has taught at both McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, said.

Governments swap incarcerated marine for drug smuggler after two years of jockeying.

Griner is facing a May 18 court date and the U.S. State Department has advised the WNBA and Griner’s family to keep negotiations of a potential release hushed in hopes that the Kremlin doesn’t cool the process in a show of political grandstanding. One was Yaroshenko, who was traded for Reed, and another was Viktor Bout. Bout was the inspiration for Nicholas Cage’s gun-running character in Lord of War. Russia’s willingness to take a drug smuggler is a positive for Griner, who is currently facing drug-related charges. The path to securing Griner’s freedom won’t be simple, but an eagerness for a deal to be done offers a glimmer of hope. The Biden administration should be offering Bout and any other Russians they’re willing to release for Griner and Whelan. Our prisons are overflowing anyways. It provides a glimmer of hope.