It’s been over 50 days since WNBA star Brittney Griner’s was arrested in Russia. Kicking off the WNBA league draft WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her concern about Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner detainment saying it is doing all it can to bring her home. Engelbert stated, "Obviously we’re getting a ton of support from the government, from specialists & her representation is able to visit with Brittney. We know she’s safe, but we want to get her home. So it’s just a very complex situation right now & we’re following the advice. There’s not a day that goes by that we’re not talking to someone that has views on what we’re doing & how we’re moving forward." Griner was arrested for allegedly possessing cartridges containing liquid with hashish oil according to the customs service. She is currently facing charges that could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. She is being held without trial until at least May 19th. The US embassy in Moscow was granted consular access last month to check on her condition & they reported she is being held with two other first time detainees & in good condition. Of course we all fear that Griner is being used as a political pawn especially with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Then there's the gender issue. We can’t help think that if this happened to a high profile male professional basketball player like Kyrie Irving or Stephen Curry it would be an entirely different situation. It’s also extremely concerning with Russia’s notorious treatment of our LGBTQ community when Brittney will be safely returned to the United States & her wife. In this exclusive chat I talked to Aron Solomon chief legal analyst at Esquire Digital about Griner’s detainment in Russia. LISTEN
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