Mercury star Brittney Griner detained in Russia on drug charges

Seven-time WNBA All-Star center Brittney Griner is currently being held by Russian authorities, according to the New York Times, after Russian Federal Customs Service said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil derived from cannabis in her luggage. The drug smuggling charges come with a maximum of 10 years in prison. Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press notes the arrest occurred last month.

"Brittney Griner has the WNBA's full support, and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States," the WNBA said in a statement to ESPN on Saturday.

Griner, 31, is a member of Team USA and has spent WNBA offseasons playing professionally in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, WNBA players have been leaving the country, and a league spokesperson told ESPN that every player other than Griner has managed to get out.

"We 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," Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas told ESPN. "As 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."

Griner was the top pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft and has spent her entire domestic career with the Phoenix Mercury. In the 2021 season, Griner was the WNBA's second leading scorer with 20.5 points per game as well as 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists.