WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for over seven months now. She was arrested in February at a Moscow airport for the possession of drugs. Griner has been playing for the Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason since 2014. As per reports, she earns more than $1 million in salary a year playing for the club. She pleaded guilty but expressed she had no intention of breaking the law. After several court hearings, she was sentenced to nine years.

Many celebrities and fans showed their outrage after the sentencing. They felt the sentence was too harsh for the alleged offense. During the court hearings, several Russian citizens testified and showed their support for Griner. The general manager of UMMC Ekaterinburg Maxim Rybakov stated Griner called Yekaterinburg her second home.

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UMMC Ekaterinburg is one of the most successful women’s basketball clubs in the country. They are famous for forming super teams and are a huge attraction for stars from around the world. And multiple WNBA stars played for the club as well. They have won the Euro League Women’s title six times since 2003.

WNBA showed support for Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner joined the Russian club in 2014 and has led them to four Euro League Women’s titles so far. She is one of the most popular stars in Russian women’s basketball. Her Russian teammate Evgeniya Belyakova also testified for her. “She is currently,” said Belyakova, “the most beloved player in Russia.”

Belyakova has been playing since 2004. Interestingly, she had a short stint in the WNBA playing for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016 when they won the championship.

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The WNBA and the players have been showing non-stop support for the Phoenix Mercury center ever since she was arrested. They have been trying to reach as many people as they can and talk about her situation in Russia. The players have also decided to not play in Russia until she is released. Griner missed the whole of the recently finished season where the Las Vegas Aces won it all.

The Mercury had an emotional whirlwind of a season with the issues surrounding Griner. Without their star center, they struggled on and off the court. One of Griner’s teammates in the Mercury, Kia Nurse, talked about the team’s struggles during the season. The Canadian revealed it was really hard for her to play the game after Griner’s sentencing was announced and also to play the entire season without her.