Following a game against the LA Sparks, WNBA star A’ja Wilson broke down in tears over teammate Brittney Griner.
In February of this year, Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner was taken into custody by Russian police when hash oil was allegedly discovered in her luggage at the airport. Since then, she has been overseas with limited information on whether or not she will be returning to the United States, or convicted of drug possession (a crime whose punishment is up to 10 years in prison).
As she prepares for her trial which is set to begin on July 1st, photos of Griner in custody have been circling around the internet. More specifically, a photo of the basketball player emerged in which she was handcuffed and escorted by Russian police. Since the photos went viral, A’ja Wilson opened up about seeing her teammate in such a vulnerable position.
Seeing Brittney Griner in handcuffs made A’ja Wilson’s stomach turn
“I hated seeing it,” said Wilson in a post-game interview. “It made my stomach turn.”
As time progresses in the case, more and more confusion arises in regards to when and if Griner will return to United States soil, which understandably would make Wilson emotional.
“I’ve got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” Sec. Blinken told CNN in an interview when discussing the issue with Griner and the countless others who are being detained across US soil.
Continuin his ambigious statement, he added the senitmetns, “I can’t comment in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”
WNBA star, Brittney Griner, appeared in Russian court today — faces 10 years in prison for being caught with THC pen pic.twitter.com/BMiKi8H7O1
— 44vibe News (@44vibeTV) June 27, 2022
Although many U.S. officials have been in contact with the basketball player and have expressed that she is in good shape, the continuous extension of her trial and status as a “political pawn” implies otherwise.
Until her trial, which is expected ot begin at the start of July, a solution to the Griner situation will remain unanswered. Due these unanswered questions, the Phoenix Mercury star’s fellow teammates have valid cocnerns.
“That’s our sister and I can’t imagine what she’s going through and I pray every single day that the people that are in high up are doing what they need to do to get her home because it’s unacceptable,” Wilson stated when discussing Griner’s detention.
