Support for detained WNBA star Brittney Griner at WNBA draft
NEW YORK (CBSDFW/AP) — Moments before Rhyne Howard went to Atlanta with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league is working very hard to help bring Brittney Griner back to the United States.
Griner, one of the league's biggest stars, remains detained in Russia since arriving at a Moscow airport in mid-February. Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges that allegedly contained oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
On March 18, a Russian court extended the star's detention to May 19. She is being held in a pre-trial detention center near Moscow, where she will stay until her next court appearance.
Griner was in Russia playing for the team UMMC Ekaterinburg, which she has done for the past seven years. Russian teams offer WNBA players like Griner an opportunity to make additional money during the U.S' off season. The 31-year-old, who won a national championship at Baylor, a WNBA championship and two Olympic gold medals, makes almost $1 million per season in Russia, according to the Associated Press.
Griner's detainment has been denounced by several major American politicians and sports organizations. Texas congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee called Russia's arrest of Griner "illegal" and said Putin is using the basketball star to "threaten the West and threaten the United States."
Griner's wife Cherelle Griner wrote about the situation on Instagram more than a month ago: We love you babe! People say "stay busy." Yet, there's not a task in this world that could keep any of us from worrying about you. My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats everyday that goes by. I miss your voice. I miss your presence. You're our person! There are no words to express this pain. I'm hurting, we're hurting. We await the day to love on you as a family. ♥️