More than two months after Brittney Griner was arrested, the U.S. government has reclassified the WNBA star as “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government.
The reclassification could indicate a change in how U.S. State Department officials will go about trying to get Griner home. She was arrested in February at an airport near Moscow after Russian authorities said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
ESPN’s T.J. Quinn was first to report the reclassification.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said in a statement to ESPN that she expects President Biden to do “whatever is necessary” to get Griner back to the U.S.
The designation change means the U.S. government will attempt to negotiate for Griner’s return rather than wait for her case in a Moscow court to finish.
After Griner was arrested, a criminal case was opened, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Last month, her detention was extended until May 19, according to Russian news agency Tass. She can be detained for 12-18 months before a trial.
Griner is one of the most well-known female basketball players in the world. A former national champion at Baylor, the 6-foot-9 star is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury and one of the few women to dunk in a women’s basketball game. She plays basketball professionally in Russia during the WNBA offseason.
Shortly after her arrest became public, which happened early in Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. consulate officials met with her, and State Department spokesman Ned Price said she was in “good condition.”
The reclassification could also allow WNBA players and others to bring more attention to her case — something they’ve reportedly been advised against until now. Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie said in March that she and other prominent WNBA figures were told “to not make a big fuss” about Griner’s detainment.
“It is time for her to come home,” Nneka Ogwumike, the president of the WNBA players union, said. “Having learned that the U.S. government has now determined that BG is being wrongfully detained we are hopeful that their efforts will be significant, swift and successful.”
The WNBA released a statement Tuesday night saying: “Today’s news on Brittney Griner is a positive development and a next step to getting her home. The WNBA is in constant communication with the U.S. government on Brittney’s case, working together to get her home safe and as soon as possible.”
The league announced earlier Tuesday that it would honor Griner with a floor decal and allow the Mercury to pay her without it counting against the team’s cap. The decal will feature Griner’s initials, BG, as well as her No. 42.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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