WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia last month at a Moscow airport after a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges. ()
The Russian Customs Service said Saturday that the cartridges were identified as containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The customs service identified the person arrested as a player for the U.S. women바카라s team and did not specify the date of her arrest. Russian media reported the player was Griner, and her agent did not dispute those reports.
바카라We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA,바카라 Griner바카라s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said Saturday. 바카라As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.바카라
On Saturday, the State Department issued a 바카라do not travel바카라 advisory for Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine and urged all U.S. citizens to depart immediately, citing factors including 바카라the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials바카라 and 바카라the Embassy바카라s limited ability to assist바카라 Americans in Russia.
Griner, who plays for the WNBA바카라s Phoenix Mercury, has played in Russia for the last seven years in the winter, earning over $1 million per season 바카라 more than quadruple her WNBA salary. She last played for her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on Jan. 29 before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments.
The 31-year-old Griner has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star.
바카라Brittney Griner has the WNBA바카라s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States,바카라 the league said in a statement.