WNBA Star Brittney Griner Set to Earn in Six Figures Despite Being in Russian Detention

The WNBA playoffs tipped-off Wednesday night, with the Phoenix Mercury dropping their opening game against the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. Brittney Griner’s absence was evident in the Mercury’s loss, as they were unable to gain a foothold in the game. And it’s reasonable to assume they’ll have to play the rest of the playoffs without Griner.

Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia and is currently serving a 9-year prison sentence after a conviction on drug charges. The WNBA player was detained at a Moscow airport when officials found cannabis-infused vape cartridges in her luggage.

She pled guilty to Russian drug charges and was sentenced to prison after being detained for months. However, there is a possibility Griner will return to home soil in the near future. Russian officials recently announced that the two nations are negotiating a prisoner swap in which Griner might return to the United States.

While Griner’s situation improves by the day, the true concern is what her life will be like once she returns. As things currently stand, the discussions for a prisoner swap might take months.

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This raises the question of how her bank balance would look once she returns. Well, it’s safe to presume that when she comes back, her bank account will be in good condition.

Brittney Griner will continue to receive her WNBA paycheck despite being in Russian detention

Brittney Griner is one of the biggest stars in the WNBA. The former champion is an 8-time WNBA all-star and is also a 2-time Olympic gold medalist.

The Phoenix Mercury standout is one of the WNBA’s highest-paid players. As a result, there were concerns about whether she would continue to be paid while being detained in Russia. However, Phoenix Mercury stated in May that Griner will continue to her receive her paycheck. Moreover, the WNBA also granted the franchise a salary cap relief.

Griner will continue to earn six figures as a result of this. In 2020, she agreed to a three-year contract extension with Phoenix Mercury worth $664,544. This extension guaranteed her $221,450 for the 2021-2022 season and $227,900 for the 2022-2023 season.

Her WNBA salary pales in comparison to those of her male counterparts. Furthermore, it appears paltry when compared to what she earns playing in Russia.

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The WNBA’s salary disparity with the NBA has been a major source of concern for many athletes in recent years. Therefore, many, like Griner, travel to Russia in the off-season to play professional basketball. In Griner’s case, UMMC Ekaterinburg pays her over $1 million each season, which is considerably more than her three-year WNBA contract.

She will continue to collect her WNBA paycheck; however, she may miss her Russian paycheck while in prison.