The President is doing all he can to try and free Brittney Griner and other Americans, but he can only do much if one side is not playing ball.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner had her appeal rejected on Tuesday over her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. The eight-time all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist was convicted in August after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
President Joe Biden told reporters that his administration is in “constant contact” with Russian authorities on Griner and other Americans, but haven’t been receiving a positive response.
While there has not been progress on bringing her back to the U.S., Biden said, “We’re not stopping.”
“We’re in constant contact with Russian authorities to get Brittany and others out. So far we’ve not been meeting with much positive response but we’re not stopping,” he said.
Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral WNBA stories via Google! Follow Us
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Biden “is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home.”
As of right now, Griner has to sit out and wait until possibly next year to see her freedom.
