Against the Grain II
By Vaughn Wilson
Many of us know Brittney Griner as the WNBA star who is a dominating force. She is a seven-time WNBA All-Star and has won two Olympic Gold Medals, leading Team USA to resounding victories. The Baylor alum is 6’9” tall and has dunked in games more than any other female in the history of basketball.
WNBA players do not make as much money as NBA players, and they often go overseas to play in the offseason. Players in the Russian league can earn exponentially more money than here in the U.S. Griner was one of the most dominant women players in the world and was a welcomed international star.
For the last month, Griner has been arrested by Russian authorities as she was accused of trying to smuggle cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage. Since then, Griner has been detained in Moscow, Russia. This is where the story gets complicated.
In 2017, LeAngelo Ball, was one of three UCLA basketball players detained in China for shoplifting. The international saga drew attention as Ball was a well-known rising U.S. basketball star. The United States was able to peacefully negotiate their release as diplomatic efforts on several fronts coupled with a peaceful relationship with the U.S. and China allowed for an amicable solution.
Griner’s detention could not have come at a worse time, if there ever was a good time for it. Currently the U.S. and Russia are at odds, with U. S. President Joe Biden enhancing sanctions on Russia for their invasion of Ukraine. While the U.S. is not directly involved militarily, it is sending aid and in some cases weapons to thwart the Russian advancement on its neighboring country. This is a stark comparison to when Ball was detained and both countries were in a position of cordiality.
Our natural reaction as a country is to start a “Free Brittney Griner” campaign…. but, not in this case. WNBA great Lisa Leslie speaking on the “I am Athlete” podcast on Friday felt heartbroken at how they were told to handle the situation. “What we were told, and again this is all sort of passed along through hearsay, but what we were told was to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the war.”
This is where it gets complicated. Leslie and the current WNBA players have been very vocal about human rights, civil rights and women’s rights. From their uniforms to t-shirts to public stances, they have been absolutely at the forefront of women’s issues and have stood in virtual solidarity. In some cases, their stances have invoked change.
In this situation though, whoever has spread the word not to make it a public deal is correct. Russia operates by its own rules, as evidenced by the inhumane dominance of its Ukranian neighbors. With the Russian people and even political figures at odds about the war, President Vladimir Putin and his forces continue to trudge forward, killing innocent civilians in the process. Many of them were not even able to evacuate. Unfortunately, this is what we are dealing with.
U.S. diplomats were finally able to speak with Griner last week. Griner stated that she is doing as well as expected under the circumstances. Still, she sits in a Russian detention facility with no security as to what her future holds. Unfortunately, it is widely known that Russians have planted drugs on tourists. Griner’s detention has been extended to the middle of May by Russian law enforcement.
The U.S. is already bargaining for the release of two other Americans in custody and Griner is now added to that list. Consequently, in all practical terms, a mass public outcry for the release of Griner would only add to the Russian’s clout of detaining her.
