“She Deserved It. If She Behaves Properly, She’ll Get Out”: Brittney Griner Not Very Popular Anymore in Russia

WNBA star Brittney Griner has the whole world divided in their opinions. While some feel she is being punished unfairly by the Russian judiciary, some agree with her sentencing.

Recently, news reports confirmed Griner’s location for the next nine years. She has been sent to the IK-2 penal colony in the Mordovia region. The colony is regarded as one of the harshest prisons in the world.

A Russian commoner recently gave her thoughts regarding the basketball star’s situation. And, it doesn’t seem like she and the other locals sympathize with Griner.

Local Russians reveal their thoughts on Brittney Griner

The IK-2 penal colony is infamous for its horrific conditions. Prisoners are made to work for long hours without any breaks. Moreover, the hostile inmates and abusive guards add to the misery.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner will be spending nine years in the dreaded prison unless Government officials negotiate a prisoner swap deal. During a survey by an eminent media organization in Russia, many local residents seemed uninterested in Griner. However, one woman by the name of Svytlana revealed her thoughts on the situation.

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She said, “If they sent her to prison, it means she deserved it. If she behaves properly, she’ll get out early and with a clean conscience.”

Therefore, the local resident didn’t seem very empathetic about Griner’s condition despite her popularity in Russia. It will certainly be interesting to know if the average Russian shares her opinion. However, many Russian social media users haven’t been very empathetic towards Griner’s condition recently.

The IK-2 penal colony is part of a vast network of prisons located in Mordovia. Most of the prisons in the region are marked as ‘red’ which means that they are run by the guards.

Griner spent many summers playing in Russia

Prior to her arrest earlier this year, Brittney Griner was on her way to join her team in Russia. She has spent the WNBA offseason representing the UMMC Ekaterinburg for many years now.

Low salaries offered by the WNBA are one of the biggest reasons why athletes like Griner take their talents abroad. She reportedly earned $1 million in salaries playing in Russia. This is roughly four times the salary she earns while playing for the Phoenix Mercury.

Apart from the massive salaries, teams in Russia offer various other luxuries. For instance, players travel on chartered flights during an away game while also having a personal chauffer while they are at home.

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