Why was Brittney Griner Russia Imprisonment?

Who is Brittney Griner?

Brittney Griner is an American basketball player playing for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She has won two Olympic gold medals with the WNBA and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

Brittney’s successful basketball career began while she was still in high school. Rivals.com named her the country’s 1 high school women’s basketball player in 2009. Brittney’s career almost came to a stop when she was arrested in Russia on February 17, 2022, for smuggling drugs.

She was detained for almost 10 months until December 8, 2022, when she was released. Griner returned to the courts and played her first match for Phoenix Mercury in May 2023.  

What is Brittney Griner’s Salary and Net Worth?

As a professional basketball player, Brittney has an estimated net worth of $5 million. She earns an annual salary of $227, 000 making her one of the highest-paid players in the WNBA. She also earns from advertisements and brand endorsement deals.

Height, Age

Griner is 33 years old as of 2023. She was born on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas, U.S. Brittney stands at a height of 6 ft 9 in (206 cm) and weighs 205 lb (93 kg).

Who is Brittney Griner’s Wife?

Griner is married to his wife Cherelle Griner (Watson). They got engaged in August 2018 and got married in June 2019.  Her wife was at the forefront of advocating for Brittney’s release when she was detained in Russia. Brittney was previously married to fellow basketball player Glory Johnson from 2015 to 2016.

Parents, Childhood

Griner was born and raised by her parents Raymond and Sandra Griner. Her father is a Veteran Vietnam War and a Harris County deputy sheriff. She was raised alongside her older siblings Decarlo Griner, Shkera Griner, and Pier Griner. Brittney studied at Nimitz High School in Houston. She then joined Baylor University where she played college basketball.

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Russia Imprisonment

Griner was arrested and detained in February 2022 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia. She was carrying vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil which she had been prescribed medicinal cannabis while in Arizona. Griner entered a guilty plea on the second day of her trial, July 7, but said she didn’t intend to breach the law.

She asked to be allowed to testify in front of the judge. Even though the typical term for possession of up to 2 grams of hash oil is 15 days, on August 4 the court found Griner guilty and sentenced her to nine years in jail as well as a 1 million ruble ($16,301) fine.

According to Griner’s attorneys, she was moved from an unidentified location on November 17 to IK-2, a female prison colony in the town of Yavas in the province of Mordovia. On December 8, 2022, Grimer was released by Russia through a prisoner swap deal with the US. She was swapped with Viktor Bout, an arms dealer, who had served 10 years of his 25 years.

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Brittney Griner Basketball Career

Griner participated in college basketball at Waco, Texas Baylor University. Her triple-double on December 16, 2009, included 34 points, 13 rebounds, and a Big 12 Conference record 11 blocked shots. Griner earned First Team All-American recognition as a sophomore after scoring an average of 23 points per game, including a career-high 40 points against Green Bay.

She averaged 23.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game in her junior year. She stopped more shots that season than any other Division I women’s team. Griner was awarded the 2012 Premier Player of Women’s College Basketball and the AP Player of the Year.

The Phoenix Mercury selected Griner with the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. With an average of 3.0 blocks per game during the season, she was a strong defensive force in the league. After her rookie contract expired on March 12, 2017, Griner re-signed with the Mercury for an extended period.

Griner would enjoy the most successful season of her career in 2017. She participated in all 34 games in 2018 for the third time in her career. She was selected to play in the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, marking her fifth appearance. During the WNBA off-seasons, Griner has played overseas for Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China, Beijing Great Wall, and UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia.