Phoenix Mercury

Suns Legacy Partners, which manages the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, released a statement Wednesday supporting Robert Sarver's decision to sell the two franchises.

"We agree that Robert Sarver's decision to sell the Suns and Mercury is in the best interest of the organization and community," the statement said while also acknowledging there is much work to be done.

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— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 21, 2022

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— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 21, 2022

Sarver released a statement Wednesday that blamed "our current unforgiving climate" for his decision to ultimately sell the Suns and Mercury:

"As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

"But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible—that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement saying, "I fully support the decision by Robert Sarver to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. This is the right next step for the organization and community."

Portland Trail Blazers guard and president of the NBPA CJ McCollum also released a statement that said, "We thank Mr. Sarver for making a swift decision that was in the best interest of our sports community."

The NBA commissioned an independent investigation after ESPN's Baxter Holmes published a report in Nov. 2021 on allegations of racist and sexist behavior by Sarver.

The league announced the findings on Sept. 13 and decided to suspend Sarver for one year and fine him $10 million—a lighter punishment than the 2014 decision to ban former Los Angeles Clippers governor Donald Sterling, who was recorded making racist comments about Black people, from the league for life.

The investigation into Sarver found he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards" that "included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying."

Among the findings were revelations that he used the N-word "on at least five occasions" and "engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them."

Many believed the NBA's punishment didn't go far enough.

Jahm Najafi, who is the second-largest Suns stakeholder, called for Sarver's resignation. NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said he "should never hold a managerial position within our league again," while players such as LeBron James and Chris Paul weighed in as well:

Jahm Najafi, the second largest Suns stakeholder, has publicly called for the resignation of Robert Sarver in an open letter to Suns fans. pic.twitter.com/z7dMzUyHSP

— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) September 16, 2022

Statement from Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director of @TheNBPA, about the "horrible" conduct from Suns owner Robert Sarver to @andscape @espn who she believes "should never hold a managerial position within our league again." pic.twitter.com/q4uEU7Ke6h

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 14, 2022

behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place. Don’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 14, 2022

I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected.

— Chris Paul (@CP3) September 15, 2022

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported there was no shortage of pressure applied on Sarver to sell the teams.

"There was a lot of private pressure on Robert Sarver behind the scenes," Shelburne reported. "We heard PayPal, but there were a lot of other league sponsors and team sponsors that were lining up to pull away from the Suns and not be publicly associated with them.

"There was also the pressure applied by other owners and Adam Silver behind the scenes. Adam Silver is obviously very good at applying pressure when needed to be and facilitating these types of conversations and discussions to get to this place."

Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver said he will begin the process of selling the team in a statement released Wednesday:

As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Wednesday that he "fully" supports Sarver's decision:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ykBrsEoxc0

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 21, 2022

Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum—who is president of the NBPA—also issued a statement:

Statement from NBPA President @CJMcCollum

🔗: https://t.co/7uy7K1cjgd pic.twitter.com/rFUcOGZsWM

— NBPA (@TheNBPA) September 21, 2022

The NBA announced Sarver would be suspended for one year and fined $10 million after an investigation found he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards," including using a racial slur multiple times, bullying and inequitable treatment of female employees.

In November 2021, ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on allegations of racism and misogyny throughout Sarver's 17 years with the Suns.

Silver said the punishments from the league were justified, but many have wanted harsher punishments against Sarver.

Suns minority owner Jahm Najafi called for Sarver's resignation, and NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio wants the NBA to ban Sarver for life.

PayPal also announced it will not renew its sponsorship agreement with the Suns if there isn't a change in leadership.

The pressure has seemingly been enough for Sarver, 60, to sell both the Suns and Mercury.

The Suns are considered the 18th-most-valuable team in the NBA at $1.8 billion, per Forbes.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski commented on the franchise's value:

The Suns are considered an extremely desirable franchise in the marketplace and will have no shortage of high-level ownership candidates. As a warm weather destination in West, league executives always believed this could be a monster free agent destination with right ownership.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2022

Phoenix should also be considered a top contender for an NBA title in 2022-23 after finishing with an NBA-best 64-18 record last season.

President Joe Biden will meet with the families of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan on Friday, according to the Associated Press' Eric Tucker:

Friday's meetings, which both families have long sought, are intended to underscore the administration's commitment to bringing home Griner, Whelan and other Americans jailed abroad, as well as to 'connect with them on a human level as they undergo an ordeal that the Russian government has imposed on them,' said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the meetings had not yet been publicly announced.

Griner has been wrongfully detained for 210 days after being arrested in February at a Moscow airport after authorities alleged she was carrying vape cartridges containing a small amount of cannabis oil. In July, she pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling, which ESPN's T.J. Quinn reported "was a strategy to help facilitate a prisoner swap that could bring Griner home."

A Moscow court found her guilty and sentenced her to nine years in prison in August.

CNN's Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Hansler reported in July the Biden administration was prepared to release convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout in return for securing the releases of Griner and Whelan. Whelan received a 16-year prison sentence in 2020 on espionage charges.

The following week, Natasha Bertrand and Frederik Pleitgen of CNN reported that Russian officials were requesting to include a convicted murderer in the swap.

Ivan Nechayev, a deputy spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Aug. 11 that Russia "is ready to discuss the issue, but only within the channel negotiated" by Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The comments came after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned the U.S. against allowing the negotiations to unfold in public.

"The Americans have already made that mistake, suddenly deciding to use megaphone diplomacy to resolve these issues," he told reporters.

Tucker reported Biden's planned meetings are scheduled in part to address what the families have "perceived as a lack of aggressive action and coordination from the administration."

As one example, Griner's wife, Cherelle, told the AP in June she was unable to speak with Griner at a scheduled time that had been arranged through Russia and the U.S. State Department. According to the report, Griner phoned the U.S. embassy in Moscow 11 times, but there was nobody on shift at the embassy to take the call and patch it through to Cherelle.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called Cherelle on July 6 "to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the league's punishment of Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury managing partner Robert Sarver during a Wednesday press conference.

Silver told reporters he was in "disbelief to a certain extent" regarding the Suns' workplace culture, adding the punishment was appropriate for the "totality" of the situation.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced it suspended Sarver for one year and levied a $10 million fine after an independent investigation found he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards":

The NBA today issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/jjlBK771PT

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 13, 2022

The investigation was conducted by the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz law firm and included interviews with 320 people and a review of more than 80,000 documents. The probe was sparked by a November 2021 article from ESPN's Baxter Holmes detailing Sarver's history of racism and misogyny.

The investigation's findings were summarized in a 43-page report and determined Sarver "said the N-word in repeating or purporting to repeat a Black person on at least five occasions during his tenure, including after being advised not to do so" and "made many sex-related comments in the workplace."

It also found that he "made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women" and "frequently engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees—including by yelling and cursing at them."

The NBA responded with Tuesday's punishment, although the league did not go far enough in the eyes of some, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"Fining a billionaire $10 million is nothing but a speeding ticket," the organization's president, Derrick Johnson, said in a statement, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. "They have failed to adequately address this man’s history of racism, sexism, and his years-long nourishment of a toxic culture. … This is far from accountability."

Tamika Tremaglio, who is the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, released a statement as well, saying Sarver "should never hold a managerial position within our league again."

Statement from Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director of @TheNBPA, about the "horrible" conduct from Suns owner Robert Sarver to @andscape @espn who she believes "should never hold a managerial position within our league again." pic.twitter.com/q4uEU7Ke6h

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 14, 2022

Silver addressed concerns about the punishment Wednesday and said, "the conduct is indefensible, but I feel like we dealt with it in a fair manner."

Sarver escaped the same level of punishment levied against former Los Angeles Clippers governor Donald Sterling, who was banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.5 million in 2014 after he was heard making racist comments on tape.

That happened during Silver's first year as commissioner, and players threatened to boycott playoff games if no action was taken. The commissioner ultimately received plenty of praise for that decision.

Silver explained why the league decided not to use such a punishment with Sarver's case:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that there was no conversation with Robert Sarver about selling the Phoenix Suns, that Sarver "has evolved as a person" during his 18-year ownership tenure and that he has done "many very positive things" in his role.

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 14, 2022

Silver said this case is “dramatically different” than what happened with Donald Sterling. He has said multiple times already that he has a more context for this situation than the general public because of confidential parts of this report that add another layer of nuance.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 14, 2022

Adam Silver: It's not that one is captured on audio and the other isn't. Mr. Sarver ultimately has acknowledged his behavior. There may be some disagreements about the edges, but it's not a factual dispute here." https://t.co/IBR0jkV3tz

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) September 14, 2022

The commissioner also addressed why the standard for Sarver may be different from a league employee who would be fired if they engaged in the same behaviors, saying, "there are particular rights here to someone who owns an NBA team as opposed to someone who is an employee. It's different than holding a job."

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass clarified Silver's comments in a statement:

Regarding the reaction to commissioner Adam Silver's comments today about team owners having different rights than employees, NBA spokesman Mike Bass offered this clarification: pic.twitter.com/xT8LyAejev

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2022

While the Suns issued a statement Tuesday that said, in part, the organization will "implement the workplace improvements the NBA has identified," ESPN's Holmes and Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sarver was "unaccepting of [the] idea he deserved a one-year suspension and $10M fine for his behavior. The punitive part of [the] process became largely acrimonious."

Phoenix Suns and Mercury team governor Robert Sarver will work with the NBA to identify an interim replacement while he serves his one-year suspension, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

The league announced Tuesday it suspended Sarver, who also owns the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, and fined him $10 million following an independent investigation into the Suns' workplace culture that found he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards."

The law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz handled the investigation. The firm's report outlines how Sarver's "conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying."

The NBA noted that the investigation found that Sarver used the N-word on at least five instances and "engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees."

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz said he "used language and engaged in conduct demeaning of female employees":

Among other examples, he told a pregnant employee that she would be unable to do her job upon becoming a mother; berated a female employee in front of others and then commented that women cry too much; and arranged an all-female lunch so that female employees at Western Alliance Bank, where at the time he was CEO, could explain to female Suns employees how to handle his demands.

However, the report said there was "no finding that Sarver’s conduct was motivated by racial or gender-based animus."

Suns Legacy Partners LLC released a statement following the report's release. The group said it's "committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment."

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— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 13, 2022

Suns Legacy Partners LLC also claimed Sarver is "taking responsibility for his actions" and "recognizes at times during his 18 years of ownership, his conduct did not reflect his, or the Suns' values, and was inconsistent with the advancements the management team has taken with Robert's full support."

Holmes and colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, on the other hand, reported Sarver "was unaccepting of [the] idea he deserved a one-year suspension and $10M fine for his behavior."

As part of his suspension, Sarver is prohibited from being at any Suns or Mercury team facility or office. He must also refrain from involving himself in the team's business and basketball operations and cannot represent either organization at league-wide gatherings.

The 60-year-old has held majority control of the Suns since 2004, when he led a group that purchased the team.

The NBA has suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury managing partner Robert Sarver for one year following an investigation into the organization's workplace culture.

The league also levied a $10 million fine.

The NBA today issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/jjlBK771PT

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 13, 2022

According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Sarver will work with the NBA to find an interim governor for the Suns to fill in during his suspension.

Among the investigation's findings, the NBA said Sarver "engaged in instance of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees."

Sarver also "engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them."

According to Holmes and ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, Sarver was "unaccepting" of the idea that he deserved a year-long suspension and a $10 million fine.

The Suns issued a statement on the NBA's findings, noting the organization will "implement the workplace improvements the NBA has identified":

pic.twitter.com/zqoTLQV9GI

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 13, 2022

The Suns just released the following statements, including one attributed to Sarver: pic.twitter.com/XQ4Cdf5oyv

— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) September 13, 2022

Last October, Sarver and the Suns issued statements in advance of a forthcoming report on the franchise. He said: "Some of the claims I find completely repugnant to my nature and to the character of the Suns/Mercury workplace and I can tell you they never, ever happened."

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1451668638918795267

An investigation by Holmes subsequently was published Nov. 4, 2021. For the piece, Holmes spoke with more than 70 current and former team employees who described a "toxic and sometimes hostile workplace under Sarver":

"Some told ESPN that he has used racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office. Employees recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic, including Sarver once passing around a picture of his wife in a bikini to employees and speaking about times his wife performed oral sex on him. Some said the longtime owner fostered an environment in which employees felt they were his property, even once asking one woman whether he 'owned' her to determine whether she worked for the Suns."

Holmes opened his article with an alleged exchange in 2016 between Sarver and then-Suns head coach Earl Watson. Following a game against the Golden State Warriors, Watson said Sarver complained that Warriors star Draymond Green could say the N-word without repercussion, and Sarver used the full racial slur.

Sarver also allegedly said to one staffer, "These [N-words] need a [N-word]," in 2013 to explain why he preferred to hire a Black head coach—Lindsey Hunter—over associate head coach Dan Majerle.

Sarver disputed both allegations and said in a statement that Watson "is clearly not a credible source."

The NBA is expected to soon launch an investigation into the allegations reported today by ESPN’s @baxter Holmes against Suns majority owner Robert Sarver … and Sarver just issued a statement in response that closes by essentially acknowledging an investigation is forthcoming: pic.twitter.com/xJswSUl3vR

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 4, 2021

Watson responded that he was "not interested in engaging in an ongoing battle of fact."

Earl Watson releases a statement through the Toronto Raptors pic.twitter.com/ggYB219taw

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 4, 2021

Holmes' investigation included allegations that didn't implicate Sarver directly but raised questions about his stewardship of the Suns behind the scenes.

One former female employee said she was physically assaulted by a male co-worker away from team facilities. The human resources department was made aware of the assault, and the woman said its only response was to move her desk farther away from the co-worker.

One woman said the toxic atmosphere inside the office "breaks you," and another said it "wrecked my life" and made her consider suicide.

Holmes also reported that employees feared retaliation if they spoke with HR about any concerns they had. A current staffer described HR as "the last place you go."

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass called the details alleged in Holmes' report "extremely serious" and said the league was bringing in the Wachtell Lipton law firm to oversee an investigation.

Sarver faced additional scrutiny after Holmes reported Penny Sarver, Robert's wife, reached out to at least three former Suns employees following his initial story: "These former employees say they consider the messages an attempt to intimidate them."

In one message, Penny issued what could be construed as a veiled threat: "If something happens to one of my children, I will hold you and Earl Watson personally responsible. Think about your own child for a second and imagine the tables turned."

She said she did send the messages but denied that intimidation was her intent and called it "as silly as it is wrong and outrageous."

Many wondered how the NBA would respond.

The league banned then-Los Angeles Clippers governor Donald Sterling for life in 2014 after he was caught on tape making racist remarks. Months later, Bruce Levenson sold his stake in the Atlanta Hawks after a 2012 email surfaced in which he made racist comments.

Sarver led a group that purchased the Suns for $401 million in 2004.

Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post reported in 2017 that Sarver might be open to selling the franchise and that "the league would likely be quite happy if Sarver chose to move on" because of the Suns' prolonged futility. Sarver disputed the report.

Phoenix's fortunes on the court improved in the following years, and the team reached the 2021 NBA Finals.

Former NBA player Dennis Rodman is apparently going to attempt to help bring Brittney Griner home to the United States.

Griner, who is a seven-time All-Star for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, has been held in Russia since February and was recently sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of drug possession.

"I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," Rodman said, per Jonathan Allen of NBC News. "I'm trying to go this week."

The Hall of Fame basketball player said he believes his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin will assist in the efforts to help Griner.

"I know Putin too well," he added.

Rodman is no stranger to informal international relations. Allen explained Rodman has a relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and was even "on the sidelines of former President Donald Trump's meeting with Kim in Singapore" in 2018.

As for Griner—whom the United States State Department has classified "wrongfully detained"—ESPN noted her lawyers filed an appeal of her sentencing Monday.

Her lawyers had written statements revealing she was prescribed cannabis to treat pain, and Griner said the canisters containing the cannabis oil were in her luggage by mistake.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said the United States made a "substantial proposal" to Russia in an effort to return Griner and Paul Whelan, who is another American being held in Russia, back to their home country.

Rodman last appeared in the NBA during the 1999-2000 campaign and played 14 seasons for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.

The Phoenix Mercury announced Skylar Diggins-Smith will miss their two remaining regular-season games for personal reasons.

The six-time All-Star was out for Phoenix's last two games.

The Mercury said they will sign a player to a hardship contract ahead of Friday's game against the Dallas Wings.

Diggins-Smith is the team leader in points (19.7) and assists (5.5). The 32-year-old has been one of the few consistent bright spots for a team that has seen little go right.

Her injury is yet another twist in Phoenix's 2022 season.

Star center Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia. While her absence has obviously impacted the team on the court, her plight has never been far from the minds of her teammates.

Diggins-Smith told reporters following a 77-64 loss to the Connecticut Sun that "nobody wanted to even play today" in the wake of Griner's guilty verdict in a Russian court.

"How are you supposed to approach the game with a clear mind when the whole group is crying before the game?" she said.

The Mercury have experienced other setbacks.

Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi got into an argument on the bench in an 86-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on May 17.

Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi had to be separated after a heated exchange on the bench. https://t.co/QGCghYuHAf

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2022

The team agreed to a contract divorce with 2012 WNBA MVP Tina Charles in mid-June, bringing an end to her run in Phoenix after 16 appearances.

In a since-deleted tweet, Diggins-Smith appeared to call Vanessa Nygaard a clown based on the first-year head coach's comments about Taurasi not being named an All-Star.

While saying she was "really, really happy for Skylar," Nygaard told reporters how the 2022 edition of the annual showcase "will not be an All-Star Game because Diana Taurasi is not playing." Some thought the coach diminished Diggins-Smith's All-Star nod with the remark.

#Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard on Diana Taurasi not being named to #WNBA All-Star team pic.twitter.com/9F3Dnb9a1g

— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) July 1, 2022

And Taurasi will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a quad strain.

At 14-20, the Mercury have the same record as three other teams in the race for the final two playoff spots. By virtue of a tiebreaker, they're 10th in the standings.

Between losing Taurasi and now Diggins-Smith, overtaking the Atlanta Dream and ninth-place New York Liberty becomes an even tougher challenge for Nygaard and her players. The Wings (17-17) aren't pushovers, and the Mercury finish up with the Chicago Sky, who own the WNBA's best record (25-9).

Virtually every #WNBA playoff scenario requires #Mercury to go 2-0 and get some help to advance

— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) August 11, 2022

Phoenix has lost four of its last five games, with Wednesday's 86-77 defeat to the Minnesota Lynx a costly one. Making it five out of six Friday could be a decisive blow to the Mercury's postseason hopes.

Russian officials confirmed they're discussing a potential prisoner exchange involving Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner with the United States government.

TASS, a state-owned news agency, provided comments Thursday by Ivan Nechayev, a deputy spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry:

We have repeatedly commented on this. On August 5, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Russia is ready to discuss the issue, but only within the channel negotiated by Russian President [Vladimir Putin] and US President [Joe Biden]. Let me remind you that corresponding competent authorities have been instructed to negotiate the issue. Competent agencies are in talks.

Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia for 175 days after being arrested in February at a Moscow airport. She was sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of drug possession and smuggling.

President Joe Biden said following her guilty verdict his administration "will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."

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

CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Frederik Pleitgen followed up on Aug. 1 to report Russia was also requesting the release of convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken didn't confirm the details of the ongoing discussions behind the scenes, but he told reporters on July 29 the U.S. had tabled a "substantial proposal" that would result in Griner's release.

"I urged Foreign Minister Lavrov to move forward with that proposal," Blinken said. "I can't give you an assessment of whether that is any more or less likely."

Lavrov addressed the situation on Aug. 5 and said Russian officials were "ready to discuss this topic, but within the framework of the channel" that had been agreed upon by Biden and Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also cautioned U.S. officials against publicizing the matter too much.

"The Americans have already made that mistake, suddenly deciding to use megaphone diplomacy to resolve these issues," he told reporters.

Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith's status with the franchise remains up in the air heading into the team's two final regular-season games.

M.A. Voepel of ESPN reported the Mercury have not indicated whether the All-Star will suit up as the team vies for a playoff berth. Diggins-Smith has sat out Phoenix's last two games because of a non-COVID illness and for personal reasons.

Further details have not been made available, shrouding Diggins-Smith's future in uncertainty.

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard could not confirm Diggins-Smith would be playing for the team again despite the fact she's under contract through the 2023 season.

"We found out before the game," Nygaard said of Diggins-Smith sitting out. "We have gone through this earlier on Saturday. We're just one day at a time moving forward. We've seen everything this year, so whatever gets thrown at us, we're ready to just lace them up and go."

Diggins-Smith has been at the center of multiple controversies this season despite arguably having the best season of her career. She and longtime Mercury star Diana Taurasi got into an altercation on the bench in May. When Nygaard questioned Taurasi not making the All-Star team last month, the third-year Phoenix player responded to her first-year coach's quote with a clown emoji on Twitter.

It's unclear if the shade was being thrown at Nygaard, Taurasi or both. Diggins-Smith deleted her Twitter account Wednesday.