WNBA

A Russian court found Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner guilty of drug possession and smuggling charges on Thursday, according to Jennifer Hansler of CNN.

The judge sentenced her to nine years in prison. Prosecutors had earlier asked for a sentence of nine-and-a-half years.

Griner's defense team called the verdict "absolutely unreasonable," adding they will "certainly" appeal the decision, per Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times.

President Joe Biden issued a statement on the verdict as well:

Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.

The WNBA and NBA also issued a joint statement in response to the verdict:

Griner pleaded guilty in July, but trials in Russia continue regardless. ESPN's T.J. Quinn reported at the time the plea "was a strategy to help facilitate a prisoner swap that could bring Griner home, and it also was a recognition that there was no way she was going to be acquitted."

With the trial in its closing stages Thursday, the seven-time All-Star told the court she "made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here."

"I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws," she said. "I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime."

Griner was arrested in February after allegedly carrying vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. The U.S. State Department classified her as wrongfully detained in May, and she has now been under arrest in Russia for 168 days.

CNN's Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Hansler reported on July 28 the Biden administration was ready to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Whelan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges and received a 16-year prison sentence.

However, Natasha Bertrand and Frederik Pleitgen of CNN reported on Monday that Russian officials requested to have convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov released from custody in Germany along with Bout as part of the deal.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing officials from the Biden administration "want to see Brittney Griner home" and "want to see Paul Whelan home." Jean-Pierre added the administration believed Russia was negotiating in bad faith and didn't table "a serious counteroffer."

John Kirby, the spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, struck a similar tone Tuesday.

"Obviously, we’re not going to negotiate this thing in public," he told reporters at a press briefing. "And I do appreciate the question, but we...look, we’ve made a serious proposal, made a serious offer. And we urge the Russians to take that offer, because it was done with sincerity and...and we know we can back it up."

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner apologized to the Russian court Thursday as her trial on drug smuggling charges draws to a close.

"I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here," she said, per CNN. "I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here. I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom.

"I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime."

Griner pleaded guilty in July, and ESPN's T.J. Quinn reported Russian prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of nine-and-a-half years.

The seven-time All-Star has been detained for 168 days after she was arrested for carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

Quinn reported July 7 that Griner's guilty plea "was a strategy to help facilitate a prisoner swap that could bring Griner home, and it also was a recognition that there was no way she was going to be acquitted."

In May, the U.S. State Department determined Griner was being wrongfully detained in Russia, signalling an increased effort to secure her release.

CNN's Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler first reported July 28 the Biden administration was prepared to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in 2018 on espionage charges.

Natasha Bertrand and Frederik Pleitgen of CNN reported Russian officials countered by requesting to have convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov released along with Bout.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the possible prisoner swap during a press briefing Monday.

"We put forward a substantial offer," she said. "And we—you know, we want to have a good-faith conversation on that. We want to make sure that we get this done as soon as possible. ... There was a counteroffer that was made, which we don't see it as a serious counteroffer."

Russian prosecutors are seeking a 9.5-year prison sentence for WNBA star Brittney Griner on drug charges.

Jim Heintz of the Associated Press reported a conviction "appears almost certain" amid Thursday's closing arguments because Russian courts rarely issue acquittals. Griner faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.

The 31-year-old Texas native has been detained by Russia for 168 days after vape cartridges with cannabis oil were found during a search of her luggage at a Moscow airport in February.

Griner made a statement to the court during the closing arguments, via CNN:

I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here. I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here. I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom. I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime.

Griner was traveling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, as she's done since 2014, when she was arrested. Numerous WNBA players compete in overseas leagues for supplemental income.

She pleaded guilty to drug charges in July, but trials in Russia continue and the plea is considered for potential leniency at sentencing.

Griner testified last week she accidentally packed the vape cartridges in her luggage while getting ready to leave for Russia in haste, and explained she legally uses cannabis on a doctor's recommendation in the United States to treat chronic pain from sports injuries, according to the AP's Vladimir Isachenkov.

"I didn't have any intent to use or keep in my possession any substance that is prohibited in Russia," she said. "With them being accidentally in my bags, I take responsibility, but I did not intend to smuggle or plan to smuggle anything into Russia."

Griner added an interpreter provided at the airport didn't provide any information about her rights and only pointed out where she should sign paperwork.

"Nothing was ever explained to me thoroughly at all," she said. "There was a lot of short words—'sign here'—and at that point, I felt like being held against my will so that's why I contacted my family and my agent and asked for legal representation."

In May, the U.S. State Department designated her as "wrongfully detained."

Discussions about a potential prisoner swap have so far failed to yield Griner's release as the trial nears its conclusion.

The U.S. offered Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Russia replied with a "bad faith" counteroffer, per Heintz.

A timetable for a verdict and sentencing hasn't been announced.

Griner is one of the most decorated basketball players of the generation. She has won eight championships (four EuroLeague, three Russian National League and one WNBA), two Olympic gold medals with Team USA and eight WNBA All-Star selections.

She rose to stardom during her college career at Baylor, where she was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player while helping the Lady Bears win the 2012 NCAA Division I national championship.

The defense team for Brittney Griner argued during a hearing Tuesday that Russian prosecutors' analysis of cannabis found in the WNBA star's luggage at a Moscow airport in February was "flawed."

Maria Blagovolina, one of Griner's lawyers, said the basketball player "admitted that she did bring something, but we need to know what she did bring," per Jim Heintz of the Associated Press.

"There are a lot of factors that will taken by the court into account," Blagovolina said after the defense team submitted evidence that Griner was granted use of cannabis to treat pain in the United States, though medical marijuana is not legal in Russia.

Griner has been under arrest in Russia for 166 days and has been classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department.

The 31-year-old Texas native pleaded guilty to drug charges in early July. In Russia, a court case still takes place following guilty pleas, and the plea is considered for potential sentencing leniency.

Griner faces up to 10 years in prison, but there are ongoing conversations between the United States and Russia about a prisoner swap.

According to Heintz, the U.S. offered Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Russia responded with a "bad faith" counteroffer.

"Any exchange of information on the subject should be discreet without any 'loudspeaker diplomacy,'" Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response. "Public exchange of positions will not yield any result."

Griner was detained while traveling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, as she's done since 2014.

The three-time Russian National League champion said during the trial she didn't purposely bring the vape canisters with cannabis oil but rather accidentally placed them in her luggage while packing in haste, per Heintz.

Closing statements are scheduled for Thursday.

Griner is one of the most decorated basketball players of the era. Her WNBA accolades include eight All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and a pair of scoring titles. She won a championship with the Phoenix Mercury in 2014.

She's also a four-time EuroLeague champion with Ekaterinburg, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA and a former NCAA champion at Baylor.

Sabrina Ionescu had a game to remember in the New York Liberty's 89-69 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

Ionescu finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and a franchise-record 16 assists.

The Liberty playmaker was two dimes away from tying the WNBA's single-game record. Courtney Vandersloot and Ticha Penicheiro are the only other players to dish out 16 assists in the regular season, and Sue Bird hit that mark in a 2020 WNBA Finals game.

Liberty star Natasha Howard told reporters after the game Ionescu's distribution "adds a lot" to the team.

"Any game we play, they're gonna try to trap Sabrina and get the ball out of her hand," she said. "With us moving without the ball, it's good. I'm proud that she got 16 assists off the players she got the ball off to."

With the win, New York improved to 11-18 and now sits 1.5 games back of the Los Angeles Sparks for the final playoff berth. Head coach Sandy Brondello will need Ionescu to continue leading the way in order for the team to climb into a postseason position.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the country is open to discussions with the United States about a potential prisoner swap involving WNBA star Brittney Griner, who's been detained in Russia for 162 days after being arrested at a Moscow airport in February.

Vladimir Isachenkov of the Associated Press reported Friday that Lavrov confirmed he received a request to speak with Secretary of State Antony Blinken amid reports the U.S. was prepared to offer Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner, who's on trial for drug charges while negotiations continue, and fellow American Paul Whelan.

"I will listen to what he has to say," Lavrov said, though he noted his department hasn't been involved in prior discussions on the topic.

Griner pleaded guilty to charges related to bringing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil to Russia in her luggage, but Russian criminal trials proceed even when a plea has been entered, per Isachenkov.

The 31-year-old Texas native said during testimony Wednesday she doesn't know how the vape cartridges ended up in her luggage and she didn't purposely bring them to Russia.

"I still don't understand to this day how they ended up in my bags," Griner said. "I didn't have any intent to use or keep in my possession any substance that is prohibited in Russia."

She noted a woman at the airport was described as an interpreter but only told her where to sign paperwork, and no one provided a legal explanation of the documents or explained her rights, per Isachenkov.

"I didn't know exactly what I was signing," Griner said.

The eight-time WNBA All-Star said she uses cannabis legally in the U.S. on a doctor's recommendation to treat chronic pain from sports injuries suffered over the years.

CNN's Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler reported Thursday that President Joe Biden was supporting the plan to offer Bout in exchange for Griner and Whelan, despite the Department of Justice being "generally against prisoner trades."

Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. had made a "substantial proposal" to Russia but didn't confirm details ahead of a possible discussion with his Russian counterpart.

"My hope would be that in speaking to Foreign Minister Lavrov, I can advance the efforts to bring them home," he said.

Griner was traveling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. Several players compete overseas in between WNBA seasons for supplemental income.

The 2013 No. 1 overall pick is one of the most decorated players of the generation with a wide range of championships on her resume: four EuroLeague, three Russian National League, one WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury and one NCAA at Baylor.

She's also a two-time WNBA scoring champion and has captured the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award twice.

As the United States continues to negotiate a prisoner swap in its efforts to bring Brittney Griner home, the Russian government wants the situation to be discussed out of the public eye.

Per the Associated Press, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said these types of things are typically negotiated behind closed doors.

"We know that such issues are discussed without any such release of information," Peskov told reporters. "Normally, the public learns about it when the agreements are already implemented."

The statement from the Kremlin came after United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden's administration has proposed an exchange for Griner and Paul Whelan, another American jailed in Russia.

According to Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler of CNN, the U.S. offered to swap Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Whalen.

Blinken also said he expects to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

The CNN report noted a senior official in the Biden administration called the proposal a "substantial offer," but they added that Russia hasn't been responsive since the deal was suggested in June.

"We start all negotiations to bring home Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained with a bad actor on the other side," the official said. "We start all of these with somebody who has taken a human being American and treated them as a bargaining chip."

The AP report included a statement from Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who said there has been "no concrete result yet" in talks between the two countries.

Blinken's comments Wednesday marked the first time anyone in the U.S. government has publicly revealed specific information about the action it was taking to secure Griner's release.

In a phone call with Cherrelle Griner, Brittney's wife, earlier this month, Biden offered his support to the family and any assistance they might need while the administration worked to get Brittney out of Russia.

Griner has been in Russian jail since February when she was detained at a Moscow airport for having vape cartridges that contained hash oil in her carry-on bag. She pleaded guilty to drug charges in court earlier this month but denied intending to break the law.

Per ESPN's T.J. Quinn, Griner's guilty plea was a strategic move to help facilitate a prisoner swap.

Whelan is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia after being arrested in 2018 on espionage charges. United States officials denounced Whelan's trial as unfair.

Griner was traveling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Premier League. The 31-year-old has played for the club since 2014 during WNBA offseasons. Her lawyer said in a letter to the Russian court that she was legally prescribed medical cannabis in the United States to help manage severe chronic pain.

Brittney Griner's trial in Russia is expected to end next week, with a verdict and sentencing set to be announced Friday, according to ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

The WNBA star has been detained in Russia for 160 days after being arrested at a Moscow airport for carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.

The news comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that the Biden administration has offered to exchange convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and Paul Whelan, another detained American.

"We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release," Blinken said. "Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal, and I'll use the conversation to follow up personally and, I hope, to move us toward a resolution."

Griner plead guilty in Russian court earlier this month and faces up to 10 years in Russian prison if found guilty. However, per the AP's Jim Heintz, a guilty plea could be required in order to facilitate a prisoner swap.

The 31-year-old recently said in court that she did have vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage when she was detained February 17. However, she said she packed them inadvertently, but also explained that she had a doctor's recommendation for them.

Griner previously sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for help in obtaining her freedom. At the time, Quinn shared a few excerpts from that letter:

"I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all that you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home."

The Biden administration reclassified Griner as wrongfully detained in May, and the U.S. State Department has been working over the last several months to bring her home.

Griner was selected first overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2013 WNBA draft and has had an impressive career that includes seven All-Star selections in nine seasons. She has also represented the United States at the Olympics.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. has presented Russia with a release proposal for WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Blinken said Wednesday that the United States "put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago." He said he will demand Griner's release when he speaks to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

Griner, a center with the Phoenix Mercury, has been detained by authorities in Russia since February.

Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler of CNN reported President Joe Biden's administration offered Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in a deal to return Griner and Paul Whelan to the United States.

Bout is serving a 25-year U.S. prison sentence, while Whelan has been held by Russia for alleged espionage since 2018.

According to CNN, U.S. officials familiar with U.S.-Russia negotiations said Griner's trial will need to conclude before any deal is completed.

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) reported Griner testified during her trial Wednesday that an interpreter didn't give her a complete translation when she was detained in February, and she also wasn't explained her rights or offered a lawyer. She said she was told to sign documents without proper explanation.

While Griner pleaded guilty to having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage when she was detained in February, she said a doctor recommended she use them for chronic pain. She also said she had no criminal intent to bring them into the country and was unsure how they were in her luggage.

The United States has officially deemed Griner, who faces up to 10 years in prison, as "wrongfully detained."

Players and teams across the WNBA and the sports world have called for Griner's return. The WNBA named her an honorary All-Star in this year's game, the eighth selection of a career that also includes two Olympic gold medals and a WNBA title.