Sue Bird: WNBA players have been able to send emails to Brittney Griner in Russia
It's been over three months since WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was detained by the Russian government after being arrested at a Moscow-area airport while entering the country after prosecutors said she illegally brought vape cartridges containing hashish oil. Griner's alleged crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, but President Joe Biden's administration has said that the former No. 1 overall draft pick is being wrongfully held.
The league continues to hold Griner in their thoughts, and earlier this week, the Phoenix Mercury center's wife, Cherelle Griner, pleaded with Biden in a direct message during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
In the most recent episode of "The Players' Pod," hosted by two-time World Cup champion Kelley O'Hara, WNBA legend Sue Bird discussed Griner's situation and provided a slightly encouraging piece of news.
Just Women's Sports' Emma Hruby wrote about Bird's appearance on the podcast on Thursday.
"'I’ve been sending her these short stories,' Bird said. 'The whole idea is that her Russian lawyer can print that and give her something to have. And that’s the one way to communicate. We all write her and we think about her,'" Hruby wrote. "'The hard part was, early on, knowing the strategy was to be quiet,' Bird said. 'Because we didn’t want BG to be a political pawn. ... It was hard because, all of us, it’s so tough to think of BG who is this gentle giant, sweetest human, sitting in a Russian jail cell. Every time her hearing comes up, they push it back. So just understanding that emotional roller coaster, the toll it must be taking on her.'"
More must-reads: