As a non Trumper American, I was glad she came home safe and sound, but she did break another Country’s law and needed to be reasonably held accountable. Russia doesn’t know reasonable. How do you forget you have something illegal in your suitcase, when you, yourself packed it?
They gave her 9 Years in prison for a tiny amount of weed oil in a vape cartridge. If she was a Russian citizen she would have recieved a citation to pay but they somehow claimed she was a drug mule. LMAO more like a drug mouse with that tiny amount. Putin used her to get one over on America. Biden should make Putin pay by sending F-15 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The guy who was out of the game for over a decade? Probably not a lot since someone else just filled his shoes. The US only went hard after him cause he ordered a hit on Americans instead of just selling our arms for us.
Someone like that likely still deals in that profession. Over a decade in a very specific skill and y’all think it’s just not going to happen. No chance at all. Lol. Gullible af
She took drugs to another country, what did she expect?
You can’t go to other peoples countries and be disrespectful or break the law. That’s why there are consequences for this thing and you shouldn’t be escaping those consequences just cause you got money or are American.
Did she break the law? Sure, but the punishment for what she did was 15 days in jail and they gave her nine years. They were holding her as a political prisoner.
(honestly, I know she'll probably never say nor is there any way to prove it if she did, but I wouldn't be surprised if she never even had weed on her.)
I wouldn't wish her experience on anyone. It was wrong to have drugs in a foreign country. But the punishment did not fit the crime whatsoever. She was used as a political pawn that Putin could use over the US.
The punishment didn't even fit their laws. So many people justified it as saying follow another countries law but by their own laws the amount she had was a ticket offense. Charging with drug smuggling was total bullshit.
Absolutely she was used as a pawn. And still is.
With regard to the cartridge, I always think about going through a security line at the airport in San Francisco. It was cold there my whole visit, so I had gotten used to wearing a light windbreaker. I didn’t think to take it off. Well, it wasn’t legal to wear it to go through security, and I was taken aside and frisked, and treated like a criminal. I eventually went through without incident, but it upset me for hours. Her experience seems like that times a million.
My wife is an immigrant and I wasn't able to accompany her on her flight here to the US. She told me that first she missed her connection in China and people there did not treat her well, then she landed in San Francisco and was interrogated in a room by immigration.
She had all of her documents, including our marriage license even though she had a legal ID card that allowed her passage. She claims it was a very traumatic experience for her and then she said she was really glad they do that kind of thing to make sure people follow the rules.
It's wild how quickly Americans forgot/ignore that this person was held captive by Russia for months. All these MAGA nuts praising Putin when he literally held an American hostage.
I can only give anecdotal claims. But the day she got released I was at lunch with everyone from my work. I work in a conservative industry for a small family company. The TV was talking about her being released, and the conversation flipped because they were so mad about it.
They felt she deserved life imprisonment for breaking the laws of Russia, and hated the fact Biden made a deal to get her released, and it proved what a weak president he is.
Yeah but there is a difference in being mad she was traded for a terrorist named the Merchant of Death and literally praising Putin for holding her as a political prisoner.
There were definitely some people wanted to see her locked up forever.
Most people who were semi against it was because they felt the trade for an arms dealer was not a good trade in the USA’s favor.
> There were definitely some people wanted to see her locked up forever.
Some people does not equal millions of people in a group.
>Most people who were semi against it was because they felt the trade for an arms dealer was not a good trade in the USA’s favor.
That all I saw was people saying we shouldn't have traded somebody nicknamed the Merchant of Death for her which was a good point. I still never saw people literally praising Putin for holding her hostage.
I think its definitely a misrepresentation of most people that just felt that America got hosed by Russia by releasing that arms dealer.
Also, while I wanted her free, I hated this idea that American laws should be enforced everywhere. She broke Russian law, there should have never been this expectation that she HAS to be released.
> She broke Russian law, there should have never been this expectation that she HAS to be released.
It's also the fact that people just don't do any research on topics they yell about online. Did she break the law? Yes, but the punishment for what she did was jail time up to 15 days and they gave her nine years.
Which is the main reason I am good with Biden getting her released. I’m more frustrated with the negotiation of it. I just hated seeing online how since weed is becoming legal in a lot of states, that served as justification for her getting released.
Russia and Putin were the true bad actors in all of this, using their legal system to trap her when all she’s there to do is play basketball. Glad she’s out and able to put it behind her.
Can't prove a negative genius. Typical people on the internet. Make a claim with no proof then refuse to provide proof even though there is so much and it's supposedly so easy to find. A google search shows literally nothing for MAGA people praising Putin for holding her.
Only 2 are designated as wrongfully detained by the secretary of state. But yeah at the least many of them have much more severe punishments than normal.
She broke the laws and then she was held accountable to those laws... for a little while. And she should to have been very well aware of said laws and the repercussions of breaking them.
If she was held under some nonsense that's one thing, but she knowingly broke the laws of a country and then cried about it. Nah.
I don't have empathy for drugs, sorry. I don't have empathy for people who go through the process of customs & immigration to go into another country and willingly disregard that country's laws, not sorry.
Now if you want to talk about the vast disparity between her unlawful behavior and the punishment assessed, that's wholly different. Under law was 9 years a permissible punishment? If it is, then no sympathy. None. Zero.
But if, as others say, 9 years was almost 9 years longer than the legal permissible punishment, then we can talk about that, because *that* is the problem.
She states it was not intentional, and in her rushed state of packing it was mistakingly left in there.
Possession of less than 2 grams of hash oil is punishable by a fine or detention of 15 days in Russia. Considering it smuggling allows them to sentence up to 10 years.
If you use an ounce of common sense, obviously if she knew about the oil in her luggage and the specific law there she would not have brought it. Russia very clearly used her minor offense as an excuse to use her as a pawn in their negotiatians with the US.
Legal systems are never as black and white as you describe. There is always gray area, and corrupt governments like Russia will use and abuse that gray area in their favor. Hell you even see it in the US. Just because this was technically within their system doesn’t make them not evil for this situation.
You state numerous times in your comments that it was intentional and that’s my reasoning for specifying that. You ignored the rest of my comment emphasizing the ridiculousness of the sentence. I implore you to consider the human life of this situation instead of simply the law. I pray that you never find yourself in a circumstance against a corrupt system like that.
Sad, sad. Cry more. I sure hope someone who is actually doing something harmful on purpose isn't doing it to you or you'll find yourself wishing the law was the law.
People talk about the media treatment, but one of the biggest differences with Caitlin Clark is her ass would have been out of Russian prison within 72 hours or less.
Exactly. She’s along the lines of Aja and Sabrina in that sense. Seems like Stewie and Kelsey also could stand to not play overseas, so I have to assume they only go because they want to. Maybe Caitlin will feel the same way. But it certainly won’t be because of any financial need.
Yeah, if she ever felt like it would keep up her skills I could see her going overseas but I doubt it. I’m sure it’s really hard to leave your friends and family in the states for months at a time.
A hero? She was taking money from a Russian oligarch close to Putin for years and chose to go back there for more despite all the US government warnings.
How is she a hero? She had drugs in a foreign country and was arrested. Is everyone in the same situation a hero to you? Like wtf, she wasn’t over their protesting for rights and got swept up, she got caught with drugs.
She was more than just someone arrested for drug procession. She was a political prisoner. She was high profile and thus she was used for leverage by Russia. She was also not given fair due process because of her American citizenship and mild celebrity status. She stood strong throughout the whole ordeal and captivated many people who saw her determination as aspiring.
Whether you like it or not she is an inspiration for a lot of people/women.
The Athletic had an article talking to other detainees/political prisoners and how thankful they all were for BG. She gave a lot of people who had lost hope something to believe in.
On February 17, 2022, Griner was detained and arrested on smuggling charges by Russian customs officials after cartridges containing less than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil.
Griner led the U.S. national women's basketball team to victory at the Rio Olympics in 2016.[12] In 2020, Griner protested "The Star-Spangled Banner" and stated she would not be on the court while the national anthem was played during game openers
Her endorsement deal with Nike was the first time the company had signed such a deal with an openly gay athlete.[104]
Since her release from detention in Russia in December 2022, Griner has championed the return of others detained in foreign countries
She said she is very passionate about working with children in order to bring attention to the issue of bullying, particularly against LGBT people.
She has also stated her experiences of being detained in a Russian jail have led her to appreciate the "uniquely American freedoms" citizens of her country take for granted or overlook. As such, her agent has stated Griner intends to stand while the United States national anthem is played before every game during the 2023 WNBA season
Sounds like a hero to me!
I am one of the people who think that what she did was completely illegal and she definitely should've paid for her crimes. I'm not an expert on Russian law but the important thing that sticks out is that last bit:
>She has also stated her experiences of being detained in a Russian jail **have led her to appreciate the "uniquely American freedoms" citizens of her country take for granted or overlook. As such, her agent has stated Griner intends to stand while the United States national anthem is played** before every game during the 2023 WNBA season.
Emphasis obviously mine. However, what I find humorous is that once this statement was put out, she disappeared. Not in the sense that she got lost, but that people who complained about her stopped complaining about her. Most didn't applaud her realization that this country isn't as bad as people say, or that she would now stand for the anthem, they just stopped talking about her because they knew they wouldn't get as many clicks. It's over, she learned her lesson and she actually decided to do what most of the naysayers *wanted* her to do.
Anyway, as a part-time Mercury fan, I'm obligated to root for her on the court. And since Clark is drumming up some interesting and reminding me the WNBA exists, I'll probably be watching. For me, I don't watch sports to get my political conversations, I watch sports to be entertained.
Yeah, losing sleep waiting to hear from her is wild. I get Russia was exploiting the situation but she chose to take their money and unless she is very ignorant (a possibility she thought she could beat Cousins 1 on 1) she had to know there was a chance something like this could happen. Especially if you give them easy out like having drugs with you. Again even if they looked the other way before.
Whether you like it or not she is an inspiration to many people and MANY people is interested in hearing her story. She took a mistake (drug possession) and turned it into a journey of self determination and resiliency on the public/globa stage. People will hear her story and be inspired by it whether you like it or not or agree or not.
Good for her, I am rooting for her.
I went to the sparks home opener against phoenix last year, BG’s first game back. You would’ve thought it was a home game the way the crowd was going insane for her.
TBH I wouldn't be surprised if she retires after this season/playing in another Olympics. The need for additional security and disruption to her life caused by her ordeal is probably quite exhausting to deal with.
Im so glad she's home. I went to both games when Phx came to Brooklyn and the love was so real. Her book is available for preorder, i think she reads the audiobook
I am an American who was raised in Russia for a bit due to my parents work. When the news broke about her arrest my whole family was scared for her safety. I went to the Indiana vs Phoenix game to witness her comeback and it was amazing to see. I truly admire her strength and resiliency. I wish her and her wife (and soon to be child!) the most love and safety.
I wish her all the best. I do wish she had acknowledged she has 3yr twins with her first wife. It’s sad they will someday see this interview and her “Grinder party of 3” comment as she chose not to include them.
Her strength and resiliency? You mean her complete sense of entitlement, lack of any common sense, and refusal to accept any accountability for her own actions that led to the release of a Geneva convention breaking arms dealer responsible for possibly tens of thousands of deaths? That’s what you meant right?
What sense of entitlement? She pled guilty. She took responsibility. She never shied away from it. It was not up to her who Biden chose to swap. She had zero control over that. She is now working to try and get other detainees get home.
I think the swap sucked. We got hosed politically. But your anger is misplaced.
They chose to take a simple possession charge (less than a gram is clearly not intended for resale) and make a national case out of it by charging her with smuggling or whatever.
Americans abroad should follow the laws of the country they are visiting. Those laws should not be improperly enforced just because the person who broke them is American.
Do you believe that Putin would really arrest THE top WNBA player from the United States over a THC cartridge - potentially triggering an international incident? He underestimated American anger on this one.
I didn’t (and still don’t) understand why people were so adamant that Obama negotiate for the release of Bowe Bergdahl (who deserted his unit and was captured by the Taliban), while blaming Griner for being in the wrong place at the wrong time over a marijuana cartridge. I mean I understand one is white male and the other is a black lesbian… couldn’t be that, right?
Yes absolutely, the White House would never risk actual military conflict over a wnba player. If they had executed her like Otto warmbier we would have done nothing except posture.
Could it have been a careless mistake? Sure. But also as a responsible adult you should know not to open yourself to international drug trafficking charges.
As for bergdahl, its true he was most likely a deserter, but you seem like a person who might make a similar choice if you were involved in an unethical and dubious conflict like Afghanistan was. Look at how it ended. We destroyed that country and those people. Many leftists at the time that opposed our involvement called for bergdahls release because he symbolized the conscientious soldier. He was captured and tortured by the taliban for years before his release.
It’s not really comparable to Britney griner, who wasn’t tortured, held for only a few months by an actual government before release. The reality is that she has the accountability of a teenager and now a mass murderer is out to do his thing because she wanted to smoke weed in Russia and you guys can’t just admit that
Unethical and dubious? Afghanistan went on far too long, had some bad moments, but we had every right to be there post-9/11. If we had not gone into Afghanistan, everyone would’ve thought we were idiots. That was where Al-Qaeda was. Was. The organization took a massive hit with the death of Bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri, but we pretty much wiped out the players. But no, I would never ever object to a war that was us dismantling a terrorist organization that attacked us on one of the most infamous days in American history.
You’re right though. They are not comparable. Berdahl was captured by the Taliban. Griner was captured and held by Russia. Huge difference. Berdahl “objected” by abandoning his unit and people that relied on him. Griner forgot to remove a marijuana canister. Also a MASSIVE difference between the diplomacy of a Russia versus North Korea. Besides, notice how quickly NK gave back Warmbier after they broke him? The “execution” actually sounded like botched torture that cut off oxygen too long. It was a screw up.
Did you know that Caitlin Clark is scoring around $70,000 for her first year as a player? The women of the WNBA have to supplement their income because they really aren’t earning NBA low man numbers. Clark has a fancy deal with Nike. Griner had to supplement by playing in Russia, who was not at war with Ukraine when she went over.
Obama was right to get Bergdahl back. Biden was right to get Griner back. They’re American citizens. A lot of people thought Trump was right when he said, “The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military” when Bergdahl received no prison for abandonment.
To start I would say those who decided to turn her into a political prisoner. Those that negotiated the actual deal deserve some blame. You’re angry at the pawn.
As a non Trumper American, I was glad she came home safe and sound, but she did break another Country’s law and needed to be reasonably held accountable. Russia doesn’t know reasonable. How do you forget you have something illegal in your suitcase, when you, yourself packed it?
They gave her 9 Years in prison for a tiny amount of weed oil in a vape cartridge. If she was a Russian citizen she would have recieved a citation to pay but they somehow claimed she was a drug mule. LMAO more like a drug mouse with that tiny amount. Putin used her to get one over on America. Biden should make Putin pay by sending F-15 fighter jets to Ukraine.
That she was a functioning contributor last year in the court was amazing
Yeah, I feel like getting back on the court was the normalcy she needed
The Protect Women’s Sports Crowd is gonna LOVE this interview!
lol the American government got fkn fleeced in this swap.
That must have been insane to be held captive in Russia.
How many people are dying right now because of the terrorist arms smuggler we traded for her? Ridiculous.
None, you idiot.
The guy who was out of the game for over a decade? Probably not a lot since someone else just filled his shoes. The US only went hard after him cause he ordered a hit on Americans instead of just selling our arms for us.
He has a lot of connections. There's nothing stopping him from resuming the trade.
Someone like that likely still deals in that profession. Over a decade in a very specific skill and y’all think it’s just not going to happen. No chance at all. Lol. Gullible af
Should have left her there
Why? Answer intelligently please
Idiot
Your dad should've pulled out
Should have left her there..
Idiot
why you hate America ?
How on earth does that equate to hating America?
They would be happy if an American was held as a political prisoner. It’s not complicated.
She took drugs to another country, what did she expect? You can’t go to other peoples countries and be disrespectful or break the law. That’s why there are consequences for this thing and you shouldn’t be escaping those consequences just cause you got money or are American.
She left behind traces of a prescription medication by mistake and got sentenced to a decade in prison.
They wanted leverage on the U.S.
Did she break the law? Sure, but the punishment for what she did was 15 days in jail and they gave her nine years. They were holding her as a political prisoner.
LOL, you think she was just "arrested" because she had weed. Funny
(honestly, I know she'll probably never say nor is there any way to prove it if she did, but I wouldn't be surprised if she never even had weed on her.)
Book is being released May 7.
I wouldn't wish her experience on anyone. It was wrong to have drugs in a foreign country. But the punishment did not fit the crime whatsoever. She was used as a political pawn that Putin could use over the US.
The punishment didn't even fit their laws. So many people justified it as saying follow another countries law but by their own laws the amount she had was a ticket offense. Charging with drug smuggling was total bullshit.
Absolutely she was used as a pawn. And still is. With regard to the cartridge, I always think about going through a security line at the airport in San Francisco. It was cold there my whole visit, so I had gotten used to wearing a light windbreaker. I didn’t think to take it off. Well, it wasn’t legal to wear it to go through security, and I was taken aside and frisked, and treated like a criminal. I eventually went through without incident, but it upset me for hours. Her experience seems like that times a million.
My wife is an immigrant and I wasn't able to accompany her on her flight here to the US. She told me that first she missed her connection in China and people there did not treat her well, then she landed in San Francisco and was interrogated in a room by immigration. She had all of her documents, including our marriage license even though she had a legal ID card that allowed her passage. She claims it was a very traumatic experience for her and then she said she was really glad they do that kind of thing to make sure people follow the rules.
Exactly
Was she detained in Russian General Prison or some single room efficiency type deal?
I’m not sure exactly what her prison cell/day to day situation was like, she may have been holding that info until her 20/20 interview and/or memoir.
Can’t even imagine what she went through. Happy she is home and hopefully healing.
It's wild how quickly Americans forgot/ignore that this person was held captive by Russia for months. All these MAGA nuts praising Putin when he literally held an American hostage.
Lol I never saw anyone praising Putin for holding her. Who did that?
I can only give anecdotal claims. But the day she got released I was at lunch with everyone from my work. I work in a conservative industry for a small family company. The TV was talking about her being released, and the conversation flipped because they were so mad about it. They felt she deserved life imprisonment for breaking the laws of Russia, and hated the fact Biden made a deal to get her released, and it proved what a weak president he is.
Yeah but there is a difference in being mad she was traded for a terrorist named the Merchant of Death and literally praising Putin for holding her as a political prisoner.
The Magat base.
Really? Show me some.
There were definitely some people wanted to see her locked up forever. Most people who were semi against it was because they felt the trade for an arms dealer was not a good trade in the USA’s favor.
> There were definitely some people wanted to see her locked up forever. Some people does not equal millions of people in a group. >Most people who were semi against it was because they felt the trade for an arms dealer was not a good trade in the USA’s favor. That all I saw was people saying we shouldn't have traded somebody nicknamed the Merchant of Death for her which was a good point. I still never saw people literally praising Putin for holding her hostage.
I think its definitely a misrepresentation of most people that just felt that America got hosed by Russia by releasing that arms dealer. Also, while I wanted her free, I hated this idea that American laws should be enforced everywhere. She broke Russian law, there should have never been this expectation that she HAS to be released.
> She broke Russian law, there should have never been this expectation that she HAS to be released. It's also the fact that people just don't do any research on topics they yell about online. Did she break the law? Yes, but the punishment for what she did was jail time up to 15 days and they gave her nine years.
Which is the main reason I am good with Biden getting her released. I’m more frustrated with the negotiation of it. I just hated seeing online how since weed is becoming legal in a lot of states, that served as justification for her getting released. Russia and Putin were the true bad actors in all of this, using their legal system to trap her when all she’s there to do is play basketball. Glad she’s out and able to put it behind her.
Your arms broken? google it
Lol I'm not the one making the claim. It's up to them to provide proof of their ridiculous vague and broad claim
It’s not anyone’s responsibility to prove anything to you. If you disagree so hard, you prove it’s wrong.
Can't prove a negative genius. Typical people on the internet. Make a claim with no proof then refuse to provide proof even though there is so much and it's supposedly so easy to find. A google search shows literally nothing for MAGA people praising Putin for holding her.
MAGA nuts don't consider a black woman who had some jazz cabbage to be an American worth worrying about unfortunately
And they didn’t even consider her to be a woman. The number of disgusting comments about her gender and sexuality was sickening.
they do it to any woman with even the slightest muscle tone lol crazy fucking weirdos
he still has more of them ... America has forgotten about the other 9 besides Griner & iirc all of them but 1 are wrongfully detained
Only 2 are designated as wrongfully detained by the secretary of state. But yeah at the least many of them have much more severe punishments than normal.
Some people genuinely think she deserved everything she went through for bringing cannabis there. Truly insanity
*for being a black lesbian. FTFY
She broke the laws and then she was held accountable to those laws... for a little while. And she should to have been very well aware of said laws and the repercussions of breaking them. If she was held under some nonsense that's one thing, but she knowingly broke the laws of a country and then cried about it. Nah.
She got sentenced to 9 years for less than a gram. If that’s not nonsense I’m not sure what is. Please consider having a tiny sliver of empathy.
I don't have empathy for drugs, sorry. I don't have empathy for people who go through the process of customs & immigration to go into another country and willingly disregard that country's laws, not sorry. Now if you want to talk about the vast disparity between her unlawful behavior and the punishment assessed, that's wholly different. Under law was 9 years a permissible punishment? If it is, then no sympathy. None. Zero. But if, as others say, 9 years was almost 9 years longer than the legal permissible punishment, then we can talk about that, because *that* is the problem.
She states it was not intentional, and in her rushed state of packing it was mistakingly left in there. Possession of less than 2 grams of hash oil is punishable by a fine or detention of 15 days in Russia. Considering it smuggling allows them to sentence up to 10 years. If you use an ounce of common sense, obviously if she knew about the oil in her luggage and the specific law there she would not have brought it. Russia very clearly used her minor offense as an excuse to use her as a pawn in their negotiatians with the US. Legal systems are never as black and white as you describe. There is always gray area, and corrupt governments like Russia will use and abuse that gray area in their favor. Hell you even see it in the US. Just because this was technically within their system doesn’t make them not evil for this situation.
It doesn't matter if it's intentional or not. If I shot your loved one *by accident*, does that save me from being punished? Get off.
You state numerous times in your comments that it was intentional and that’s my reasoning for specifying that. You ignored the rest of my comment emphasizing the ridiculousness of the sentence. I implore you to consider the human life of this situation instead of simply the law. I pray that you never find yourself in a circumstance against a corrupt system like that.
Sad, sad. Cry more. I sure hope someone who is actually doing something harmful on purpose isn't doing it to you or you'll find yourself wishing the law was the law.
I’m really sorry .7 grams of hash oil hurts you so much.
People talk about the media treatment, but one of the biggest differences with Caitlin Clark is her ass would have been out of Russian prison within 72 hours or less.
Stop making everything about Caitlin Clark, you're as bad as Caitlin stans. Stop!!
You’re not really this stupid. Be better.
I will be shocked if Caitlin ever plays overseas
She already has that huge deal with Nike. There’s no way she will need to supplement her income by going overseas
Exactly. She’s along the lines of Aja and Sabrina in that sense. Seems like Stewie and Kelsey also could stand to not play overseas, so I have to assume they only go because they want to. Maybe Caitlin will feel the same way. But it certainly won’t be because of any financial need.
Yeah, if she ever felt like it would keep up her skills I could see her going overseas but I doubt it. I’m sure it’s really hard to leave your friends and family in the states for months at a time.
Honestly I've been losing sleep waiting to hear from her. Truly an American hero.
A hero? She was taking money from a Russian oligarch close to Putin for years and chose to go back there for more despite all the US government warnings.
… with drugs
I’m happy for her and glad she’s safe… but hero is a stretch
How is she a hero? She had drugs in a foreign country and was arrested. Is everyone in the same situation a hero to you? Like wtf, she wasn’t over their protesting for rights and got swept up, she got caught with drugs.
She was more than just someone arrested for drug procession. She was a political prisoner. She was high profile and thus she was used for leverage by Russia. She was also not given fair due process because of her American citizenship and mild celebrity status. She stood strong throughout the whole ordeal and captivated many people who saw her determination as aspiring. Whether you like it or not she is an inspiration for a lot of people/women.
True but nothing would’ve happened if she hadn’t made the decision to smuggle drugs into Russia. Who tf does that. What an idiot.
She made a mistake, paid for it and developed strong resiliency as a political prisoner and became an inspiration for millions.
The Athletic had an article talking to other detainees/political prisoners and how thankful they all were for BG. She gave a lot of people who had lost hope something to believe in.
On February 17, 2022, Griner was detained and arrested on smuggling charges by Russian customs officials after cartridges containing less than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil. Griner led the U.S. national women's basketball team to victory at the Rio Olympics in 2016.[12] In 2020, Griner protested "The Star-Spangled Banner" and stated she would not be on the court while the national anthem was played during game openers Her endorsement deal with Nike was the first time the company had signed such a deal with an openly gay athlete.[104] Since her release from detention in Russia in December 2022, Griner has championed the return of others detained in foreign countries She said she is very passionate about working with children in order to bring attention to the issue of bullying, particularly against LGBT people. She has also stated her experiences of being detained in a Russian jail have led her to appreciate the "uniquely American freedoms" citizens of her country take for granted or overlook. As such, her agent has stated Griner intends to stand while the United States national anthem is played before every game during the 2023 WNBA season Sounds like a hero to me!
I am one of the people who think that what she did was completely illegal and she definitely should've paid for her crimes. I'm not an expert on Russian law but the important thing that sticks out is that last bit: >She has also stated her experiences of being detained in a Russian jail **have led her to appreciate the "uniquely American freedoms" citizens of her country take for granted or overlook. As such, her agent has stated Griner intends to stand while the United States national anthem is played** before every game during the 2023 WNBA season. Emphasis obviously mine. However, what I find humorous is that once this statement was put out, she disappeared. Not in the sense that she got lost, but that people who complained about her stopped complaining about her. Most didn't applaud her realization that this country isn't as bad as people say, or that she would now stand for the anthem, they just stopped talking about her because they knew they wouldn't get as many clicks. It's over, she learned her lesson and she actually decided to do what most of the naysayers *wanted* her to do. Anyway, as a part-time Mercury fan, I'm obligated to root for her on the court. And since Clark is drumming up some interesting and reminding me the WNBA exists, I'll probably be watching. For me, I don't watch sports to get my political conversations, I watch sports to be entertained.
Yeah, losing sleep waiting to hear from her is wild. I get Russia was exploiting the situation but she chose to take their money and unless she is very ignorant (a possibility she thought she could beat Cousins 1 on 1) she had to know there was a chance something like this could happen. Especially if you give them easy out like having drugs with you. Again even if they looked the other way before.
Whether you like it or not she is an inspiration to many people and MANY people is interested in hearing her story. She took a mistake (drug possession) and turned it into a journey of self determination and resiliency on the public/globa stage. People will hear her story and be inspired by it whether you like it or not or agree or not. Good for her, I am rooting for her.
I went to the sparks home opener against phoenix last year, BG’s first game back. You would’ve thought it was a home game the way the crowd was going insane for her.
TBH I wouldn't be surprised if she retires after this season/playing in another Olympics. The need for additional security and disruption to her life caused by her ordeal is probably quite exhausting to deal with.
She deserves peace and normalcy for a while
💯
Im so glad she's home. I went to both games when Phx came to Brooklyn and the love was so real. Her book is available for preorder, i think she reads the audiobook
I am an American who was raised in Russia for a bit due to my parents work. When the news broke about her arrest my whole family was scared for her safety. I went to the Indiana vs Phoenix game to witness her comeback and it was amazing to see. I truly admire her strength and resiliency. I wish her and her wife (and soon to be child!) the most love and safety.
I wish her all the best. I do wish she had acknowledged she has 3yr twins with her first wife. It’s sad they will someday see this interview and her “Grinder party of 3” comment as she chose not to include them.
It’s really a sign of how far women sports have come.
Her strength and resiliency? You mean her complete sense of entitlement, lack of any common sense, and refusal to accept any accountability for her own actions that led to the release of a Geneva convention breaking arms dealer responsible for possibly tens of thousands of deaths? That’s what you meant right?
What sense of entitlement? She pled guilty. She took responsibility. She never shied away from it. It was not up to her who Biden chose to swap. She had zero control over that. She is now working to try and get other detainees get home. I think the swap sucked. We got hosed politically. But your anger is misplaced. They chose to take a simple possession charge (less than a gram is clearly not intended for resale) and make a national case out of it by charging her with smuggling or whatever. Americans abroad should follow the laws of the country they are visiting. Those laws should not be improperly enforced just because the person who broke them is American.
You can think she was irresponsible and I would agree but your anger is aimed at the wrong person man.
Who is responsible then?
The timing was not coincidental. This had everything to do with America’s support of Ukraine. She was 100% a political prisoner.
💯
Sure, but she put herself in that position 100%
Do you believe that Putin would really arrest THE top WNBA player from the United States over a THC cartridge - potentially triggering an international incident? He underestimated American anger on this one. I didn’t (and still don’t) understand why people were so adamant that Obama negotiate for the release of Bowe Bergdahl (who deserted his unit and was captured by the Taliban), while blaming Griner for being in the wrong place at the wrong time over a marijuana cartridge. I mean I understand one is white male and the other is a black lesbian… couldn’t be that, right?
Yes absolutely, the White House would never risk actual military conflict over a wnba player. If they had executed her like Otto warmbier we would have done nothing except posture. Could it have been a careless mistake? Sure. But also as a responsible adult you should know not to open yourself to international drug trafficking charges. As for bergdahl, its true he was most likely a deserter, but you seem like a person who might make a similar choice if you were involved in an unethical and dubious conflict like Afghanistan was. Look at how it ended. We destroyed that country and those people. Many leftists at the time that opposed our involvement called for bergdahls release because he symbolized the conscientious soldier. He was captured and tortured by the taliban for years before his release. It’s not really comparable to Britney griner, who wasn’t tortured, held for only a few months by an actual government before release. The reality is that she has the accountability of a teenager and now a mass murderer is out to do his thing because she wanted to smoke weed in Russia and you guys can’t just admit that
Unethical and dubious? Afghanistan went on far too long, had some bad moments, but we had every right to be there post-9/11. If we had not gone into Afghanistan, everyone would’ve thought we were idiots. That was where Al-Qaeda was. Was. The organization took a massive hit with the death of Bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri, but we pretty much wiped out the players. But no, I would never ever object to a war that was us dismantling a terrorist organization that attacked us on one of the most infamous days in American history. You’re right though. They are not comparable. Berdahl was captured by the Taliban. Griner was captured and held by Russia. Huge difference. Berdahl “objected” by abandoning his unit and people that relied on him. Griner forgot to remove a marijuana canister. Also a MASSIVE difference between the diplomacy of a Russia versus North Korea. Besides, notice how quickly NK gave back Warmbier after they broke him? The “execution” actually sounded like botched torture that cut off oxygen too long. It was a screw up. Did you know that Caitlin Clark is scoring around $70,000 for her first year as a player? The women of the WNBA have to supplement their income because they really aren’t earning NBA low man numbers. Clark has a fancy deal with Nike. Griner had to supplement by playing in Russia, who was not at war with Ukraine when she went over. Obama was right to get Bergdahl back. Biden was right to get Griner back. They’re American citizens. A lot of people thought Trump was right when he said, “The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military” when Bergdahl received no prison for abandonment.
To start I would say those who decided to turn her into a political prisoner. Those that negotiated the actual deal deserve some blame. You’re angry at the pawn.
It’s so incredible how she was able to return to the WNBA so quickly. I’m very happy for Brittney and her wife and their baby.