?They Value Athletes?: 5x American Olympic Gold Medalist Praises Russia But Criticizes Brittney Griner Arrest

Brittney Griner has been stuck in Russia for over eight months now. The WNBA star was detained at a Moscow Airport in February after vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil were found in her luggage. BG was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Russian judiciary and is awaiting an appeal hearing scheduled for October 25. Recently, five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird has provided her take on the Brittney Griner fiasco. The four-time WNBA champ praised the Russian culture while criticizing the country for Griner’s arrest.

Sue Bird was the first overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Drafts. She played for the Seattle Storm from 2002-2022 during a 20-season-long career. The 13-time All-Star also used to spend the WNBA offseason playing for various teams in Russia. She has represented Dynamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow Region, and Griner’s Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg as well.?

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Bird reckoned that the Russian culture values sports and athletes greatly. However, the 42-year-old found the Russian culture a bit hypocritical in the way they value athletes. The former Seattle point guard stated that she had played in Russia and was aware of the culture in the foreign league.

Sue Bird said during a podcast appearance, “I know the Russian culture values sports tremendously and so to hold ? not that athletes are above anybody else ? but it is just a little bit, I find, hypocritical that they value athletes the way they do. I played there, I know it. I could tell you stories of the ways in which the way they value athletes. I was almost jealous.”

Bird criticizes the detainment of Brittney Griner

Bird has shown her support to Brittney Griner and hoped for her safe return home. The WNBA veteran stated that everyone in Russia loves BG for who she is. Moreover, Sue Bird criticized Griner’s arrest. She claimed that many traveling athletes would be scared to come to play in Russia after what happened with BG.?

Bird stated,?“It’s an interesting idea that here we are as athletes traveling the world all the time and now you’ve kind of, you’ve made that scary for athletes, but you love athletes and you cherish them and you value them.”

The WNBA legend criticized the Russian authorities in her statement regarding Griner’s arrest. Bird’s experience of the Russian sports culture has certainly surprised her with the way BG has been treated in Russia. Sue Bird is among many WNBA stars who have openly displayed their support for Griner.

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Meanwhile, Griner faces one of the most crucial days of her life on October 25. The appeal hearing will decide BG’s future in Russia. If the order is finalized, Brittney Griner might be forced to work in the labor camps of the Russian penal colonies.