President Joe Biden to meet with Brittney Griner's family Friday at White House

It's been over 200 days since WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested on drug charges while traveling to Russia to play with her international team. Since then, the Phoenix Mercury center has been handed down a nine-year prison sentence after being found guilty of drug possession and smuggling in August.

Griner was accused of entering the country with vape cartridges containing hashish oil, but the U.S. government declared in May that she was being wrongfully detained. In July, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration offered a deal to the Russian government for the release of Griner, a trade that includes bringing the 31-year-old and another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan, back to the states in exchange for releasing a Russian arms trafficker currently serving jail time in the U.S.

It was reported in early August that Russia was "ready to discuss" a prisoner swap proposal.

On Thursday, an Associated Press and ESPN report noted that President Biden is scheduled to meet with Griner's family on Friday at the White House, as well as Whelan's. The separate meetings are to be the first in-person encounter between Biden and the families.

"He wanted to let them know that they remain front of mind and that his team is working on this every day on making sure that Brittney and Paul return home safely," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Thursday's press briefing.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Griner's wife, Cherelle, in July.