Unlike the USA, Russia?s Financial Aid to Olympic Medalists Brought Up by WNBA Legend While Discussing Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner has been embroiled in trouble for months as she still remains in prison in Russia. In fact, her case has continued to take a number of twists and turns since her arrest in February earlier this year. Many assume she is being kept as a “high-profile hostage” in Russia, while the US administration believes she is being detained unlawfully.

Several NBA and WNBA players have continued to express their viewpoints on Griner’s current situation. WNBA legend Sue Bird recently made an appearance on the Audacy original podcast ‘Hey Mayne’. She discussed Brittney Griner’s situation and the WNBA’s progress in advocating for her. Bird also discussed what it’s like to play in Russia. During this, she shed light on Russia’s financial assistance for Olympic medalists.

Like Brittney Griner and a plethora of other WNBA athletes, Bird also played in Russia during the WNBA off-season in the 2000s. The four-time WNBA champion firstly talked about how much the Russians value their athletes.

“I played there, I know it”, Bird said. She continued by adding, “I could tell you stories of the ways in which the way they value athletes. I was almost jealous”.

She went on to say that Russians lavish financial support on Olympic medalists for bringing glory to their homeland. She claimed they are given hefty monthly stipends for the remainder of their lives.

In fact, it is because of this large financial backing that many athletes, like Sue Bird and Brittney Griner, travel overseas to play and earn there to maximize their income.

Brittney Griner and several other WNBA athletes have to travel to Russia to maximize their earnings

WNBA athletes have long fought the battle of the huge pay disparity between them and their male counterparts in the NBA. Therefore, Russia has been a favored destination for a bunch of WNBA players over the decades where they can earn a hefty paycheck owing to their hooping talents.

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Interestingly, Brittney Griner is also a part of that bunch. Talking on?ABC?s Good Morning America (GMA) in May, Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner remarked that if it weren?t for the money, her loved one won’t travel overseas. She went on to add that her wife only spent one Thanksgiving in the last nine years in the United States because she was competing in Russia at the time.

Griner traveled to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season. Interestingly, the money she makes competing in Russia considerably outweighs what she makes in the WNBA.

Griner agreed to terms with the Phoenix Mercury on a three-year, $664,544 contract in 2020. However, what she earns in Russia in a single season is much more than what she is slated to earn in three WNBA seasons.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist earns about $1 million every season in Russia. This speaks volumes about the salary disparity that WNBA athletes endure year after year, and why traveling to play overseas is almost a necessity.

WATCH THIS STORY: Millionaire Brittney Griner?s Net Worth Compared With Fellow WNBA Legends Sue Bird and Sabrina Ionescu

What are your thoughts on the pay disparity between WNBA and NBA players? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.