Brittney Griner: Everything We Know About the WNBA Star Detained in Russia

The United States government has proposed a prisoner swap with Russia that would see the return of Brittney Griner, CNN reports. Griner is an American basketball player with the Phoenix Mercury currently facing 10 years in prison in Russia for possession of cannabis – Griner has said during her trial that the cannabis was prescribed for chronic pain and that she brought it into Russia by accident.

Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, offering the first public glimpse at U.S.

Alessia Russo's stunning backheel in Tuesday 26 July evening's win against Sweden has received worldwide praises as she is now the joint-second top scorer at the Euro 2022 tournament.The 23 year old has helped to propel the England Lionesses into Euro final on Sunday 31 July and fans of the young striker would no doubt want to see more of her incredible talent. BBC pundit Ian Wright even compared Alessia to football legend Lionel Messi. He said: '''Lessi', not Messi, for what she has done when she comes on.

Brittney Griner continued in Moscow on Tuesday, with her defense team presenting additional evidence to support their position that the basketball player brought cannabis-infused oil cartridges to Russia by accident.Griner's lawyers presented negative drug tests, and a drug expert testified that frequent marijuana users would continue testing positive long after the last use.The expert, Mikhail Tetyushkin, said that medical marijuana is increasingly common in countries around the world, including the United States. He said it is often used by athletes to alleviate pain after sustaining physical trauma, supporting the defense's argument that Griner only used cannabis for medical purposes under doctor's supervision.«It is clear that if the use is constant, it affects the nervous system, decreases the speed of reaction and thinking, decreases physical activity and the ability to perform highly coordinated movements, so professional athletes cannot use them all the time,» Tetyushkin told journalists after the hearing.«The position of the defense is not that Brittany was allowed to bring banned substances into Russia.

Ruby Rose, who exited the WBTV Batwoman series two years ago in a cloud of controversy, is returning to a larger screen in a starring role for the new film, Stowaway.

Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for months after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage, and it is unclear when she will be able to return to the United States.The Phoenix Mercury player is currently in the middle of a trial in Moscow and faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Brittney has an uphill battle to have her criminal case acquitted in a trial that experts say is unlikely to be fair and that Russian authorities are using her as a diplomatic bargaining chip amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.The Olympic gold medalist has played in Russia for the last seven winters, earning more than $1 million per season -- more than quadruple her WNBA salary, according to the Associated Press.

Megan Rapinoe took a brief moment at tonight’s ESPYs during her acceptance speech for Best Play honors to acknowledge the plight of the WNBA’s Brittney Griner, currently being held in Russia on drug possession charges.

Stephen Curry is calling for the release of Brittney Griner.

2022 ESPY Awards, Steph Curry used his platform to deliver an impassioned message about Brittney Griner, the imprisoned WNBA star who has spent the past five months behind bars in Russia.Joined by Griner's teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith and fellow WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, Curry explained said that, amid the night's celebration, they needed to «acknowledge one [athlete] who isn't here» — Griner.«Because Brittney isn't just on the Phoenix Mercury, she isn't just a member of her team in Russia, she isn't just an Olympian, she's one of us — the team of athletes in the room tonight and all over the world, a team that has nothing to do with politics or global conflict,» Curry shared.Ogwumike detailed all of Griner's innumerable accomplishments, sharing, «BG is a WNBA champion, she's an eight-time WNBA all-star, a national champion in college, an Olympic Gold Medalist, an athlete who has fans all over the world, and a human being whose predicament commands our attention.»«It's been 153 nights now that BG has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home, away from her family, away from her friends, away from her team,» an emotional Diggins-Smith shared. «All throughout that time, we've kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts, even though we know that's not nearly enough to bring her home.»«We cannot stop fighting for her, we cannot believing for her, and we will not stop hoping for the day we can welcome her home safely,» Curry concluded, before all three declared in unison, «We are BG.»Later in the evening, Megan Rapinoe took home the ESPY Award for Best Play, and used her acceptance speech to also show her love for Griner, and emphasize the importance of keeping the fight going.«BG deserves to be free.

honor former heavyweight boxing champion and mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; retired Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans with the Pat Tillman Award for Service and legendary college basketball broadcaster and Hall of Fame inductee Dick Vitale with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. “I think those are going to be really powerful moments,” King said of the honorees’ ceremonies.Regarding the show’s host, NBA champion Curry, King added, “Right off the bat, you’ll find that Steph — he’s got a great sense of humor, yes, but he’s also got a really great sense of humility. … I think people will get right away a sense that he is a perfect host choice for this year.”ESPYs presenters include Odell Beckham Jr., John Boyega, Alison Brie, Ciara, Billie Jean King, Dwayne Johnson, Jon Hamm, Simu Liu, Megan Rapinoe, Trevante Rhodes, Lindsey Vonn, Hannah Waddingham and more.

Euphoria was debauched? Wait until you get a load of what its co-creator, Sam Levinson, has been working on. ‘The sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood’ is quite a bold claim for a brand new series to start throwing around, but given Levinson’s previous form, it’s probably justified. And the trailer for The Idol certainly sets up the stall for the new HBO show: hot young things writhing around by a pool, in parties, in strip clubs; spraying Champagne and racking up lines; literal pants being dropped and steamy sex scenes against the illuminating backdrop of La La Land by night.

entered a guilty plea before the court, which analysts believe may have been her best chance at securing an eventual pardon, or at least leniency, given the Russian court system's near-perfect conviction rate.Maria Blagovolina, one of the lawyers representing Griner, said her legal team had presented evidence Friday including «characterization materials, medical records and tax returns.» Among the medical documentation was a doctor's prescription for the substance that Griner admitted bringing into Russia mistakenly as she packed her bags in a rush.  Friday was the fourth hearing in the Phoenix Mercury player's trial. She's facing up to 10 years in prison on drug possession and smuggling charges.

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It was a momentous day at the White House for Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe and 15 other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Biden bestowed the nation's highest civilian honor to the awardees in the East Room on Thursday. Biles made history at the ceremony as the youngest person to ever receive the Medal of Freedom.

Brittney Griner pleaded guilty in Russia on Thursday to drug possession and smuggling charges, telling a Moscow court she brought marijuana into the country by accident.Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian officials claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge ordered Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, to remain in custody.«I would like to plead guilty on the charges against me, but I had no intention on breaking any Russian law,» she said in court.

Reuters reports. “I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare.” Griner has been in Russian custody since February and her next court hearing is set for July 14, per the outlet.

Paul Whelan have said they are “astonished” that US President Joe Biden has not spoken to them personally while he remains detained in Russia. Elizabeth Whelan, the 49-year-old’s sister, said the Biden administration had not spoken with them since May in an interview with CNN on Wednesday. Hours earlier, Mr Biden said he and vice president Kamala Harris had spoken with the wife of the WNBA star Britney Griner amid her trial in Moscow and calls from her supporters for her release.

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video of a traveler who looked like Griner going through airport security, followed by footage of someone examining a package that appeared to be from a traveler’s bag. Due to Russian laws prohibiting illicit substances, Griner was subsequently charged with “large-scale transportation of drugs.”The U.S. has alleged that Griner is being wrongfully detained — a charge which Russian officials have denied. Some security experts have speculated that the WNBA player was scapegoated in retaliation for the United States’ vocal opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Last week, Griner’s trial began, but for all intents, it has been deemed by many human rights observers, and the U.S.