A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug trafficking, a severe sentence described as “unacceptable” by the US government and which opens the possibility of an exchange of prisoners between Russia and the United States. Joined.
Griner was arrested at an airport in the Russian capital in February after customs agents found vape cartridges in her luggage containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia and which the athlete claims was used for medicinal purposes.
She has been in jail ever since, and to reduce her sentence, the Olympic medalist pleaded guilty to drug-related charges, though she said she did not intend to break any laws.
Life and studies of
Brittney Griner
Brittney Yevette Griner was born on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas. She is an American basketball player and one of the best pivots in the sport, especially known for her play with the Phoenix Mercury, which she helped win a WNBA Championship (2014).
She is the youngest of four children born to Sandra Griner, a stay-at-home mother, and Raymond Griner, a sheriff and Vietnam veteran. Brittney Griner played volleyball and basketball in high school, but it was the latter sport that got her the most attention. He often practiced with the men’s team, and during his junior year, a video of his dunk was viewed millions of times on YouTube.
After graduating in 2009, Griner attended Baylor University on a basketball scholarship and quickly became known for both her defense and offense. During a 2010 game in his first season, he caused controversy when he punched an opposing player, breaking his nose. Griner was suspended for two games. In 2012, he led Baylor to an NCAA championship, capping the team’s perfect season (40-0). Griner received both the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award as the outstanding player of the women’s collegiate branch. In addition, she was named player of the year.
While there was speculation that Griner would leave Baylor to enter the WNBA draft, he opted to stay on for the 2012-13 season. Although Baylor failed to defend its NCAA title, Griner went on to win the Naismith, Wooden, and AP Awards.
She finished her college career with 3,283 points, which placed her among the leading scorers in NCAA history. Griner, who is 2.06 meters tall, also set a record for most blocked shots (748). In 2019, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Education at Baylor.
WNBA and international career
In the 2013 WNBA draft, Griner was the first pick by the Phoenix Mercury. She made her presence felt immediately. In her professional debut in May 2013, she became the first WNBA player to score twice in a game. In 2014, he blocked an unprecedented 129 shots and helped the Mercury defeat the Chicago Sky to capture the WNBA title. That season, Griner also won the first of two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Over the next several seasons, Griner remained a dominant force in the league, in 2017 and 2019 leading the WNBA in points per game. She was also the league leader in blocked shots per game from 2013 to 2019.
The 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and WNBA players were required to quarantine in a “bubble”. Citing personal reasons, Griner left after 12 games. He returned for the 2021 season, and Phoenix reached the championship final, but lost to the Chicago Sky.
During this time, Griner also played on the US women’s national team and helped the team win a gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Also, during the WNBA offseason, he played in foreign leagues. The practice was common among WNBA players, many of whom were motivated by the pay gap in the American league In 2015 she joined UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Premier League, and the team won the EuroLeague championship by next year. Yekaterinburg also claimed the title in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Personal life
In 2013, Griner publicly revealed that she is a lesbian, and the following year she became the first openly gay athlete to land an endorsement deal with Nike. She often spoke out about LGBTQ issues, and in her memoir “In My Skin: My Life on and off the Basketball,” Griner discussed the challenges she had faced as a gay African-American woman.
In April 2015, Griner and his then-partner, WNBA player Glory Johnson, were arrested on assault and disorderly conduct charges following an incident at their home. They later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and were both suspended for seven games by the WNBA. The couple married in May 2015 and had twins before divorcing in 2016. Three years later, Griner married Cherelle Watson, a teacher. Following Brittney Griner’s arrest in Russia, Cherelle Griner publicly fought for her release.
