Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was freed from Russia late last year after being wrongfully detained, was harassed Saturday by a man who recorded the entire incident as security struggled to keep him away.
Griner was confronted by the man who was yelling at her about “the Merchant of Death.” He, of course, is Victor Bout who was traded back to Russia to get Griner back to the United States.
The confrontation got so heated that the man was said to be tackled.
The guy, Alex, released more video on the incident and it does not show him being tackled, but it does show how much more he harassed her in that airport.
The league said Saturday in a statement that Griner has been approved to fly charter for WNBA games. Phoenix has not said why she was not doing so Saturday.
Griner being approved by the league to charter for all games is an exception because of the publicity surrounding her detainment and release.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral WNBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Griner is playing in the WNBA again this year after missing all of last season due to her being arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February 2022 when she was returning to Russia to continue her overseas basketball season there.
Russian customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, which she later admitted to.
Griner was sentenced to a nine-year prison term but in December was freed through a negotiated prisoner exchange between the United States and Russian governments. She was welcomed home but the government sent Victor Bout back to Russia.
Griner had a season-high 29 points, along with six rebounds in her last game, but chose not to speak to the media.
