Brittney Griner has received an outpouring of support since being traded for and returning back to the United States after her stint in a Russian prison.
However, not everybody was happy to see her back.
The WNBA is gathering “additional information” after Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was harassed in an airport. Following the incident, the league released a statement calling player safety its “top priority.”
The league’s full statement read:
“As we gather additional information about today’s incident at the Dallas Airport, it has come to our attention that this was orchestrated by a social media figure and provocateur. His actions were inappropriate and unfortunate.
“The safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority. Prior to the season, the WNBA worked together with the Phoenix Mercury and BG’s team to ensure her safety during her travel, which included charter flights for WNBA games and assigned security personnel with her at all times. We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players.”
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More information says the harassing party was a conservative TV and YouTube personality who has uploaded his POV of the incident to YouTube.
Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner stated the team had to stand in a corner because they were unsure about how to move about in the airport in order to avoid more harassment.
“Player safety while traveling should be at the forefront. People following with cameras saying wild remarks is never acceptable. Excessive harassment. Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better,” Turner wrote.
Turner ended her tweet by saying, “We deserve better.”
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, also called on the WNBA to implement chartered flights and “enhanced security measures for all players.”
The 32-year-old Griner was detained at a Russian airport in February 2022 due to being in possession of vape cartridges that contained hashish oil.
After announcing she was being wrongfully detained, she was put on trial in Russia and sentenced to nine years in prison on drug smuggling charges. Weeks later, Griner was returned to the United States in a prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout in December.
