A booking photo was released of WNBA player Brittney Griner while she’s detained in Russia.
According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, Griner was detained last month after a dog indicated drugs may be in her carry-on luggage. A Russian press release said that a professional basketball player had been detained for allegedly having vapes that contained hashish oil in her airport luggage and that an investigation was underway.
The booking photo shows Brittney Griner holding up a piece of paper. It’s not clear where she was when the photo was taken.
Griner has played in Russia for the last seven years in the winter, earning over $1 million per season, which is way more than her WNBA salary.
She last played for her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on Jan. 29 before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments.
People and organizations in the U.S. have been calling for Brittney Griner’s release. Her wife made a statement on Instagram asking for prayers and privacy.
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The WNBA and the Mercury acknowledged the detention on Saturday.
“There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point,” Blinken said Sunday alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Chisinau. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we, of course, stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.”
