Following the release of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed from a Russian prison on Wednesday — Reed was freed in a prisoner exchange — the news now turns to another American citizen in Russian custody.
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been held by Russian authorities since February, after Russian Federal Customs Service officials say they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
In March, it was reported that Griner’s detention had been extended until May 19, meaning the WNBA star will spend at least one more month in Russian custody.
On Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN that her case is a “top priority” for the government and that they are in “regular contact with her team.”
“When it comes to Brittney Griner, we are working very closely with her team. Her case is a top priority for us,” Price said. “We’re in regular contact with her team.”
It’s the second time that Price has gone on CNN and discussed Griner’s situation, informing the network that an official from the U.S. Embassy was finally “granted consular access to Brittney Griner” in late March.
“Within the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner,” Price said on CNN. “We were able to check on her condition. We will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network to see to it that she is treated fairly. That is a message that we will continue to convey in no uncertain terms to the Russian Federation.”
Price also provided an update on her condition, saying that Griner was in “good condition.”
Over the past weeks, Griner’s Phoenix Mercury teammates have spoken out on her situation, saying that she is very much on their minds as the 2022 WNBA season approaches.
“We’ve just got to keep praying for her,” guard Sophie Cunningham said. “We hope she’s well. No one wants to be in her situation. We miss her like crazy, so we’re still just trying to do good things around the community, you know, her shoe drive, so if you want to do anything to support her, let’s do that but (we’re) just praying for her.”
Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard weighed in, saying that they are all working behind the scenes in order to get Griner home safely.
“It’s tough. We all are concerned about her,” Nygaard said, according to ESPN. “It is something that we think about, and we pray to make sure that she is safe and that she comes home quickly.”
“We feel confident that everything is being done to make sure that she can get back as quickly as possible, that everybody is working behind the scenes to make that happen,” Nygaard continued. “I definitely wake up sometimes in the middle of the night worried about BG. All we can do is keep doing what we’re doing.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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Source: Dailywire
