WNBA player Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia after officials found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow, according to a report in the New York Times on Saturday.
The newspaper cited a statement from the Russian Federal Customs Service, which published a video of a person who appears to be Griner, 6 feet 9 inches, going through airport security.
WNBA star Brittney Griner, who plays overseas during the offseason, is reportedly being detained in Russia after officials found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
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“We are aware of Brittney Griner’s situation in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, the WNBA and the NBA,” Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, told ESPN. . “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment further on the details of her case, but we can confirm that as we work to bring her home, her mental and physical health remains our primary concern.”
Like many WNBA players, Griner, 31, has long played abroad during the winter months, most recently in Russia.
“Brittney Griner has the full support of the WNBA and our top priority is her safe and prompt return to the United States,” the league added in a statement.
He has played nine seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, who lost in the WNBA Finals last October to Chicago. She won a championship with Mercury in 2014 and gold medals with the United States at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics.
Over the past week, WNBA players in Russia have fled the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
Mercury said they were “in constant contact” with Griner’s family, his representation and both the WNBA and the NBA.
Veteran women’s basketball agent Mike Cound told ESPN on Feb. 27 that players in Russia were urgently working to get out of Russia.
