WNBA

Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, has spoken to President Joe Biden about her wife's ongoing detention in Russia.

Per a White House press release, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner in a phone call on Wednesday to "reassure her" that the President is "working to secure Brittney's release as soon as possible" along with the release of additional U.S. nationals being "wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world."

Cherelle said Wednesday that she's "grateful" for President Biden's commitment to bringing the WNBA star home:

Griner has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason since 2014.

Per Michael Crowley and Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times, Russian Federal Customs Service detained Griner on Feb. 17 after claiming it found cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. She has been detained for 139 days as of Wednesday.

According to Crowley and Abrams, Griner is under criminal investigation for "large-scale transportation of drugs, an offense that can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars in Russia."

The WNBA, as well as many of Griner's fellow WNBA and NBA players, have been vocal in their support for her and urging the American government to take action to bring her home.

Per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press, Griner sent a handwritten letter to Biden that he received on Monday asking him to not "forget about me and the other American Detainees” in Russia.

Griner's trial in Russian court began on July 1, with a second session scheduled to take place on Thursday. A judge ordered her to remain in custody for an additional six months during a preliminary hearing last month.

Brittney and Cherrelle Griner were scheduled to have a phone call on June 18, but it never took place because the United States Embassy was unstaffed on that date. The White House did reschedule the call after what it called an "unfortunate mistake" prevented it from taking place as planned.

The couple have been married since June 2019.

Seattle Storm star Sue Bird and Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi will share cover duties for the "WNBA Edition" NBA 2K23.

This is the second year 2K Sports created a dedicated WNBA design for the popular video game series. The Chicago Sky's Candace Parker graced the cover of NBA 2K22.

"It really is an incredible feeling to see your hard work memorialized on the cover of a game like NBA 2K23," Taurasi said. "There are so many kids that dream of pursuing a professional basketball career, and they can now also dream of being on the NBA 2K cover, whether they want to play in the NBA or WNBA."

Along with Wednesday's announcement, 2K Sports is partnering with Bird and Taurasi to donate $100,000 to Every Kid Sports. The money will help cover the youth basketball registration fees for 550 girls

"It's an incredible feeling to see myself on the cover of a video game that has such a cultural impact," Bird said. "And by partnering with NBA 2K and Every Kid Sports, Diana and I have the opportunity to open doors to hundreds of young girls in this country who want to express themselves on the court. I'm honored to be on the cover, and even more honored to use my legacy to provide these opportunities for the next generation."

Bird and Taurasi were teammates at Connecticut, helping the Huskies win a national title in 2002. They have both gone on to legendary WNBA careers, and their relative proximity meant they were also typically standing in one another's way in pursuit of titles.

Most recently, Taurasi and the Mercury eliminated Bird and the Storm in the second round of the 2021 playoffs. Phoenix gained a measure of revenge after Seattle prevailed in their epic five-game semifinal series in 2018.

Getting on the cover of NBA 2K23 is another affirmation of what Bird and Taurasi have done on the court.

Taurasi is the 2009 MVP, a 10-time All-Star and the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. The 40-year-old is widely considered the greatest player in league history.

Bird, meanwhile, is the best playmaker in WNBA history. She set the all-time assists record in 2017 and has continued to pad her lead in the intervening years.

WNBA star Brittney Griner wrote a letter directly to the White House and President Joe Biden appealing for help in obtaining her freedom from Russia.

Excerpts from the letter were released by representatives of Griner, per ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

"I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees," one excerpt stated. "Please do all that you can to bring us home.

Griner stated in her letter that she felt "terrified I might be here forever." The Phoenix Mercury center explained the personal importance of the Fourth of July to her and her family because her father is a Vietnam War veteran. In her direct plea to President Biden, she said: "I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with the freedom that you can help restore."

The 31-year-old has been detained in Russia for since February 17 after she was arrested at an airport after authorities allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage. The U.S. Department of State categorized her as "wrongfully detained" in May. As of Monday, she has been detained for 137 days.

The two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist had her detention extended last Monday by another six months to Dec. 20. Her case went to trial Friday for an initial session and was adjourned until July 7. If convicted on the charges of large-scale transportation of drugs, Griner faces up to 10 years in prison.

Alexander Boykov, an attorney for Griner, told reporters: "I wouldn't want to talk on the specifics of the case and on the charges and to comment on our position on it because it's too early for it."

It has been widely speculated that a prisoner exchange would be required for Griner's release. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to discuss a potential exchange during a June 26 appearance on CNN.

"As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home," Blinken said. "I can’t comment in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority."

In June, the WNBA named Griner as an honorary All-Star for the 2022 season. She has received an outpouring of support from her fellow players as well as NBA stars, who are all advocating for her release.

The excerpts from Griner's letter ended by stating: "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."

Brittney Griner appeared in a Russian court on Friday for the start of her trial on cannabis possession charges after being arrested and detained since Feb. 17.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Griner's status was not affected by tensions between Russia and the United States following the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine, which began one week after the WNBA superstar was detained.

"The facts are that the famous athlete was detained in possession of prohibited medication containing narcotic substances. In view of what I've said, it can't be politically motivated," Peskov said Friday, per Jim Heintz of the Associated Press.

Griner, a 31-year-old Texas native, was traveling to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason when she was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

Texas congressional representative Colin Allred called the trial "illegitimate" in an interview with CNN:

Griner, who's played for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury since 2013, faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years if convicted. Heintz noted less than one percent of criminal cases in Russia end with an acquittal.

In May, the U.S. State Department changed Griner's status to "wrongfully detained," an escalation of its efforts to secure her release amid the legal proceedings.

Cherelle Griner, the basketball standout's wife, told CNN in an interview published Friday she feels the government isn't doing enough to solve the situation:

Several WNBA players, including Breanna Stewart, have made daily pleas for a resolution:

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, one of the most well-known athletes in the world, also joined the efforts in June:

On Monday, Griner's detention was extended through at least Dec. 20 by the Russian government pending the outcome of the trial.

She's one of the most decorated players of the generation with eight All-Star selections, two scoring titles and a WNBA championship with the Mercury in 2014. She also won an NCAA title with Baylor in 2012 and two Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 2016 and 2020.

The Russian government reportedly may use the trial of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner as a way to extract political concessions from the United States, according to experts who spoke with ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

Griner, who has been determined wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, will stand trial Friday. She has been in custody for 133 days.

Quinn spoke to William Pomeranz, a Russian law expert, who said the trial's outcome is a "foregone conclusion."

Danielle Gilbert, an assistant professor of military and strategic studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy, described the trial to Quinn as a "negotiation strategy" by Russia.

"The trial—and the threat of a long sentence—gives the Russians more negotiating leverage," Gilbert said.

Because of the slim likelihood of getting a fair trial, Pomeranz told Quinn pleading guilty might be Griner's best strategy, and experts said a guilty plea could be a condition of any release agreement:

Sources close to Griner declined to say how she intends to plead, but experts say that with no chance of acquittal it would make strategic sense to just plead guilty now. That might cause headaches for the U.S. State Department and the White House, but it could make Griner's life more bearable, and a deal to go home more likely.

This was one of the fears when news became public that Griner had been arrested at a Moscow airport in February for allegedly possessing vape cartridges of hashish oil in her luggage.

Quinn and Mechelle Voepel interviewed Tom Firestone, a former legal adviser at the United States embassy in Moscow, who said Griner's arrest could become a geopolitical issue if it garnered significant mainstream attention.

As a result, those close to the 31-year-old remained relatively quiet in the immediate aftermath of her arrest in the hope the matter could be resolved behind the scenes.

By May, the U.S. government signaled a shift in its approach when the State Department officially classified Griner as wrongfully detained. That allowed government officials to more aggressively negotiate for her release.

CNN's Jake Tapper asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken about exchanging convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020.

"As a general proposition, Jake, I’ve got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home, and that includes Paul Whelan and that includes Brittney Griner," Blinken said. "That includes people in a number of other countries. In fact, I spoke to Brittney Griner’s wife just a few days ago."

Sue Bird added another milestone to her iconic career Wednesday night.

The Seattle Storm's 88-78 win over the Las Vegas Aces gave Bird 324 victories as a WNBA player, the most in the history of the league.

Bird passed Basketball Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen (323) as the winningest player in WNBA history.

"It's not only the assists with Sue, it's making big plays, the big shots. I thought she played great defense tonight," Storm head coach Noelle Quinn told reporters after the win. "Those intangibles that she brings, but also: She's the GOAT, an amazing player with a long career and deserving of every single record she's about to break because she's played 20-something years."

Whalen set the mark in 15 seasons between the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx from 2004-18.

Bird announced earlier this month that this will be her final season. She is arguably the most decorated player in WNBA history.

In her 19th season with the Storm, Bird is the league's all-time leader in career assists (3,142), has been named an All-Star 13 times, been named to the All-WNBA team eight times (five first-team selections) and has won four WNBA titles. She's been included on the WNBA Anniversary team every five years since 2006.

The UConn alum is also a five-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA and won five EuroLeague titles with Spartak Moscow Region.

Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2002, Bird has led the Storm to 14 winning seasons and 17 playoff appearances. Their 12-7 record through 19 games this season is second in the Western Conference, behind the Aces (14-5).

Bird will look to add to her record win total Friday when Seattle hosts the Indiana Fever at Climate Pledge Arena.

Cherelle Griner told Al Sharpton on Wednesday that her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is "terrified" amid her 132-day detainment in Russia.

"She's a human. She's struggling. She's there, terrified. She's there alone," she said on Sharpton's Keepin' It Real radio show on SiriusXM (6:15 mark). "I mean, even in America, if she was going through a legal proceeding, she wouldn't be doing it alone. ... Everything about this is just your biggest nightmare. On top of the fact that BG is in a situation where this isn't even a trial. ... Considering an execution, Russia has a 99 percent conviction rate. Nothing about this is justice."

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage. If convicted, she is facing up to 10 years in prison in the country.

Her trial is set to begin Friday.

"The United States government is actively engaged in trying to resolve this case and get Brittney home," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.

"The Russian government should release her and allow her to be returned and reunited with her family and come home safe and sound," he added, saying she was "wrongly" and "unjustly" detained.

The State Department has also classified Griner as wrongfully detained.

One of the beliefs regarding Griner's arrest and detainment is that the Russian government is using her as a political pawn, with some Russian media outlets reporting that the government is trying to get the United States to release convicted weapons dealer Viktor "The Merchant of Death" Bout in a prisoner exchange.

"He was arguably the largest and most sophisticated arms trafficker on the globe when he was arrested," former DEA chief of operations Michael Braun told Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports in late May. "He was the guy who could deliver virtually anything with certainty to any bad actor all over the world."

Griner, 31, is one of many WNBA stars who play in Europe during the WNBA offseason. She most recently has played for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Former Phoenix Mercury center Tina Charles is expected to sign with the Seattle Storm, according to WNBA insider Khristina Williams.

The news comes after Charles agreed to terms on a contract divorce with the Mercury on Saturday. When it was announced, Phoenix general manager Jim Pitman said in a statement that "it was best for both parties to go our separate ways at this time."

Pitman added: "Due to circumstances both in and out of our control, our season has not gone according to our plan, and we will continue to pursue all avenues for improvement."

The Mercury are on a three-game losing streak and sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 6-12 record.

Charles signed a one-year deal with Phoenix in February and has been playing as the team's starting center, filling in for Brittney Griner, who remains detained in Russia after officials said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

The 33-year-old has been playing solid basketball for the Mercury, averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 16 games while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from deep.

Before signing with the Mercury, Charles played for the Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty. The Sun selected her first overall in the 2010 WNBA draft out of UConn.

Charles was the 2012 WNBA MVP and is an eight-time All-Star, including four straight All-Star selections from 2017-21. In addition, she is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and won two NCAA titles with UConn.

Charles will join a Seattle lineup that includes WNBA legend Sue Bird, in addition to Breanna Stewart, Jewell Lloyd and Ezi Magbegor, who serves as the team's starting center.

Through 14 games this season, Magbegor is averaging 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.6 blocks while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor. It's unclear if she'll be replaced by Charles.

The Storm are second in the Western Conference with an 11-6 record and appear primed to win another title before Bird enters retirement after the season. If they were to win the WNBA title, it would mark Charles' first championship win.

Golden State Warriors superstar and reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry gave a proverbial tip of the cap to New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu on Saturday.

After knocking down a deep three to cement New York's 89-77 win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday, Ionescu did Curry's "night night" celebration:

The eight-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP liked what he saw, tweeting acknowledgement and a congratulatory message to Ionescu:

While Curry is a surefire future Hall of Famer, Ionescu is early in her WNBA career, although she is on a path to greatness.

The 24-year-old was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft following a dominant collegiate career at Oregon that saw her earn the 2020 Naismith Player of the Year award and set an all-time record for most career triple-doubles.

Injuries limited Ionescu to just three games as a rookie, and she struggled with offensive efficiency last season, but she has finally hit her stride in 2022.

Ionescu is averaging 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals in 18 games, plus she is shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.

As a result, Ionescu was named an All-Star for the first time this season, perhaps foreshadowing many more All-Star nods in her future.