via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 30: Brittney Griner #42 and Brianna Turner #21 of the Phoenix Mercury talk on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 30, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mercury defeated the Aces 117-91. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 30: Brittney Griner #42 and Brianna Turner #21 of the Phoenix Mercury talk on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 30, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mercury defeated the Aces 117-91. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Brittney Griner recently released a public statement for the first time after her return from a Mordovian penal colony. Russia released her last week in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. In her public statement, she revealed she would play for the Phoenix Mercury in the upcoming WNBA season. During her ten months of captivity in Russia, Griner missed the whole of the WNBA season. Despite this, the 2014 WNBA champion is all set to add a huge amount to her $5 million net worth.
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Griner is one of the highest-paid players in the league. As per reports, her annual salary is $227,000 which is the WNBA league max.
Brittney Griner set to be paid for the previous season
Recently, there were reports that suggest that Brittney Griner would receive her full salary for the last year despite missing the whole season. Furthermore, her salary won’t be reportedly counted against Phoenix Mercury’s salary cap.
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With this new development, Griner would add around $227,000 to her $5 million net worth. Many fans applauded the gesture from the league to help out the recently released Griner.
Brittney Griner was credited with a year of service for 2022, per league source; the WNBA already announced she'd be paid her full salary this past summer without it counting against the Mercury's cap. (1/2)
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) December 16, 2022
Griner was detained in February for carrying small amounts of cannabis oil at a Russian airport when she was there to play in the Russian league. She has been playing for the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014. According to reports, she receives over $1 million per year in salary playing in Russia during the WNBA off-season.
However, after her arrest, many argued that she wouldn’t have been in that position if the WNBA’s salary was higher. Even after her release, some WNBA players have spoken about the low pay in the league. Recently, WNBA star Angel McCoughtry talked about the low pay and stated that WNBA players are treated like NBA players overseas.
Griner’s release
After Brittney Griner was detained, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. There was a huge uproar in the country for the release of Griner after the sentence. Many fans and celebrities showed their support. However, it was not enough. There were also fears about her safety and well-being if she was moved to a penal colony.
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The Russian prison camps are known for their brutal conditions where a prisoner is expected to do hard labor for around 16 hours a day. Then she was recently moved to the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia. However, the negotiation between Russia and the U.S. finally led to her release.
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In her public statement, she has not opened up about the conditions she faced in the penal colony. It is expected Griner would talk about it in the future.
