News of Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia broke on Saturday, but she has apparently been in custody for much longer than that.
Minnesota Lynx star Angel McCoughtry addressed Griner’s situation in an Instagram comment over the weekend and revealed that Griner has been held in Russia for the last three weeks now.
“My homie been there for three weeks,” wrote McCoughtry, Griner’s USA Basketball teammate. “Free her.”
The seven-time WNBA All-Star was detained on drug charges after an incident at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. The charges reportedly carry a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The Russian Federal Customs Service revealed Saturday that Griner was in custody but only said that the incident happened in February. McCoughtry’s three-week timetable would mean that Griner has been detained since about Feb. 12. For reference, Russia officially invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 but had been increasing geopolitical tensions for several weeks prior to that.
Griner, 31, has been playing in Russia during the WNBA offseason since 2014. She averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Phoenix Mercury this past WNBA season, making the All-Star team and leading the league in blocked shots.
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