Brittney Griner, Star W.N.B.A. Center, Is Detained in Russia
March 7, 2022 6:45 AM Subscribe
"As tensions rose between Russia and the United States, Russian authorities detained Brittney Griner, a W.N.B.A. star, on drug charges. The Russian Federal Customs Service announced Ms. Griner’s detention on Saturday but said she was stopped at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow last month.
The detention of Ms. Griner, 31, a seven-time W.N.B.A. All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury and a key figure in two champion Olympic teams, comes during an inflamed standoff between Russia and the United States over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pulls the player in the middle of the most acute crisis between the two countries since the Cold War."
The detention of Ms. Griner, 31, a seven-time W.N.B.A. All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury and a key figure in two champion Olympic teams, comes during an inflamed standoff between Russia and the United States over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pulls the player in the middle of the most acute crisis between the two countries since the Cold War."
I was also confused by the timeline here and a little disappointed by the reporting. I received the NYT breaking news alert on Saturday morning that she had been arrested; the story made it seem like this had just happened, which would certainly raise the prospects of a deliberate escalation by Russia. But now it seems like it was just announced on Saturday and she's been in custody for a few weeks, which is certainly more unfortunate for her and her family but less of a provocation.
As for why this wasn't reported sooner, I hope it was because her family, the WNBA and the State Department agreed keeping it on the DL would improve the negotiations with the Russian authorities.
Hopefully she will be released promptly and unharmed.
posted by fortitude25 at 7:18 AM on March 7, 2022 [6 favorites]
As for why this wasn't reported sooner, I hope it was because her family, the WNBA and the State Department agreed keeping it on the DL would improve the negotiations with the Russian authorities.
Hopefully she will be released promptly and unharmed.
posted by fortitude25 at 7:18 AM on March 7, 2022 [6 favorites]
She's getting sucked in to the quagmire of the deeply awful Russian justice system now, with an extra layer of political hostility thrown on top. Wishing her the best. If she really had hashish oil vapes on her, I wonder what the holy hell was going through her mind trying to fly internationally with them, though... especially to Russia. I mean, empathy and concern to her above all, but dang.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:19 AM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:19 AM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
Which may be just the vagaries of Russian thuggery, but surely her own friends and people would have noticed? She's been playing in the Russian leagues, wouldn't fans notice sooner?
Presumably the State Department is involved and everyone who knows has been cautioned to STFU about it to not make delicate negotiations harder.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:43 AM on March 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
Presumably the State Department is involved and everyone who knows has been cautioned to STFU about it to not make delicate negotiations harder.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:43 AM on March 7, 2022 [8 favorites]
Y'all are right, it seems likely that folks who needed to know have been working on her case long before it reached the media.
If she really had hashish oil vapes on her. I see no reason to believe anything Russian police or security services say. I mean sure, it's possible. Equally possible they just kidnapped her.
Here's The Grio's take on the story. They had this tidbit I haven't seen elsewhere
If she really had hashish oil vapes on her. I see no reason to believe anything Russian police or security services say. I mean sure, it's possible. Equally possible they just kidnapped her.
Here's The Grio's take on the story. They had this tidbit I haven't seen elsewhere
Russian officials have not specified the date of Griner’s arrest. An online search of the UMMC Ekaterinburg box scores shows her name last appeared on Jan. 29. The team had games on Feb. 1 and 23, according to their schedule, but Griner’s name didn’t appear.posted by Nelson at 7:47 AM on March 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
When I saw that she's been under detention for a month, I wondered if the initial arrest had more to do with the Olympics. The Russian "take" on performance-enhancing drugs seems to be that everyone does it, but only Russians are unfairly punished for it. Arresting one of the most prominent American female basketball players on drug charges feels like the sort of thing they would do to make a point. It also makes sense for what a mess all this is --maybe no one was planning to arrest a famous American as political retribution, but once she was in custody and the situation in Ukraine escalated, no one was going to release her either.
As for whether or not the hashish oil was hers...man, I dunno. The drugs could've been planted, absolutely. But there could also have been an understanding that no one would send cops rifling through the belongings of star sports players in order to arrest them. If you've ever been to a country where Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol -- and been astonished to see how easily drinkers dismiss the possibility of getting flogged for it -- you know that people who live/work under oppressive laws have a good understanding of what they can get away with. It's possible that foreign-born star athletes have a certain understanding of how much scrutiny they can expect from Russian cops, and that understanding changed too quickly for Griner to notice. Obviously, this is a nightmare. It doesn't seem great that Russia chose to publicize her arrest if her team was keeping strategically quiet about it.
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:08 AM on March 7, 2022 [19 favorites]
As for whether or not the hashish oil was hers...man, I dunno. The drugs could've been planted, absolutely. But there could also have been an understanding that no one would send cops rifling through the belongings of star sports players in order to arrest them. If you've ever been to a country where Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol -- and been astonished to see how easily drinkers dismiss the possibility of getting flogged for it -- you know that people who live/work under oppressive laws have a good understanding of what they can get away with. It's possible that foreign-born star athletes have a certain understanding of how much scrutiny they can expect from Russian cops, and that understanding changed too quickly for Griner to notice. Obviously, this is a nightmare. It doesn't seem great that Russia chose to publicize her arrest if her team was keeping strategically quiet about it.
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:08 AM on March 7, 2022 [19 favorites]
It strikes me that someone of her caliber should be well paid enough that she should never have been risking her life going anywhere near Russia in the first place. It's a complete travesty that sports leagues that employ women think they can just pay them less and there will be consequences for anyone except more money in these fucking fat cat pockets.
posted by bleep at 9:44 AM on March 7, 2022 [13 favorites]
posted by bleep at 9:44 AM on March 7, 2022 [13 favorites]
Not to mention Griner is openly gay. She never should have been in Russia at all.
posted by bleep at 9:48 AM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by bleep at 9:48 AM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
> It strikes me that someone of her caliber should be well paid enough that she should never have been risking her life going anywhere near Russia in the first place. It's a complete travesty that sports leagues that employ women think they can just pay them less and there will be consequences for anyone except more money in these fucking fat cat pockets.
Brittney Griner Should Have Never Been In This Situation (Defector, archive link)
posted by tonycpsu at 9:53 AM on March 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
Brittney Griner Should Have Never Been In This Situation (Defector, archive link)
posted by tonycpsu at 9:53 AM on March 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
That's a big part of the shame of this, to me. If the NBA (annual revenue $8,300M) increased their subsidy to the WNBA by another $10-12M, I suspect the need for players to play overseas in the offseason would evaporate. The WNBA currently pays around 20% of revenue to players, around $12M. The base salary is around $60K, the average is $120K and stars (and Griner is a star) get $220K. With a doubled salary pool, the base could rise into the six figures and Griner might be approaching a million, which is what she was being paid by the Russian league. It's appalling that the biggest, richest, basketball market in the world can't support its' stars to the extent that other countries can, which is largely because media execs don't support and promote women's sports like they do men's.
posted by Superilla at 9:53 AM on March 7, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by Superilla at 9:53 AM on March 7, 2022 [10 favorites]
Relevant thread on Twitter
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 12:55 PM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
"There’s little information on Griner’s situation, but experts I’ve spoken to (like Tom Firestone, former DOJ legal advisor to US Embassy in Moscow, who joined me on air) say she’s teetering between two legal paths. /1"Seems worrisome that Russia would choose to publicize this now. My guess would be that they're hoping Americans get up in arms about it and pressure the US government to Do Something. Except that right now the "Something" Russia would accept might be "reverse the sanctions, stop sending weapons to Ukraine, and recognize Ukraine as Russian territory." We aren't going to agree to that, and they know it, but it would stir up a political firestorm, and probably make her situation even worse by the increasing the benefit to Russia of holding her hostage.
"The first is the Russian legal system. It’s better for her if this remains a legal case, with a Russian attorney helping to limit her legal jeopardy. But the other path is the political one. If Putin or someone in his government decides to make an example of her… /2"
"then she becomes a hostage instead of a criminal defendant. As a 6-9 Black gay American woman, she’s a powerful cultural symbol, and experts worry that Putin would use her a a cautionary tale of American decadence. This is why everyone around her is trying to keep it low key. /3"
"There was a case in 2019 where an Israeli woman was detained with 10g of weed and eventually Netanyahu negotiated a deal wherein Putin pardoned her. But it was a diplomatic deal, not a legal resolution. If Griner becomes a political chit, who knows how long she might be there. /4"
"But even in the best case, she’s in for a long legal slog in the Russian criminal justice system. And there’s little the US govt can do about it. /x"
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 12:55 PM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
If she really had hashish oil vapes on her, I wonder what the holy hell was going through her mind trying to fly internationally with them, though... especially to Russia. I mean, empathy and concern to her above all, but dang.
I know somebody who was 3 months and bunch of border crossings into a backpacking trip before he realized a friend forgot some weed in one his coat pockets the night of his going away party (coat was borrowed to go smoke outside). Took a while because the weather was good and he wasn't wearing the coat. Stuff happens sometimes, people forget things, especially if you're casual with it at home.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 1:10 PM on March 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
I know somebody who was 3 months and bunch of border crossings into a backpacking trip before he realized a friend forgot some weed in one his coat pockets the night of his going away party (coat was borrowed to go smoke outside). Took a while because the weather was good and he wasn't wearing the coat. Stuff happens sometimes, people forget things, especially if you're casual with it at home.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 1:10 PM on March 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
Yes, there's a non-zero chance that Griner was a) framed; b) under an informal agreement that allowed these materials that was yanked without warning; or c) she inadvertently goofed. I'm on her side in any case. It's not a just reason to imprison her, just in general. We shouldn't let Americans get swept up into that kind of mess. It's why we have embassies.
That said, Russia has a seriously fucked-up climate right now and this was not news to her. If the vapes were planted, okay. If she was relying on an unwritten exemption or had an "oops" moment, well holy shit, that's something a person really needs to be vigilant not to let happen. When traveling to a country whose bureaucracy hates your nationality, race, and sexuality and is up and down about your gender, you cannot fuck around. What's happening wouldn't be right, and wouldn't be fair, even so. But holy shit.
As someone with a literal phobia of airports/airport security/customs, this is more or less unimaginable to me. It's all I can do not to strip to my underwear and walk through the lines with my hands on my head, I am so afraid. Knowingly bringing vape pens? Holy shit.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:33 PM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
That said, Russia has a seriously fucked-up climate right now and this was not news to her. If the vapes were planted, okay. If she was relying on an unwritten exemption or had an "oops" moment, well holy shit, that's something a person really needs to be vigilant not to let happen. When traveling to a country whose bureaucracy hates your nationality, race, and sexuality and is up and down about your gender, you cannot fuck around. What's happening wouldn't be right, and wouldn't be fair, even so. But holy shit.
As someone with a literal phobia of airports/airport security/customs, this is more or less unimaginable to me. It's all I can do not to strip to my underwear and walk through the lines with my hands on my head, I am so afraid. Knowingly bringing vape pens? Holy shit.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:33 PM on March 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
Not to mention Griner is openly gay. She never should have been in Russia at all.
Huh? It feels really paternalistic to suggest that queer people can/should be restricted to the few places in the world where our rights and safety are highly secure.
posted by dusty potato at 3:18 PM on March 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Huh? It feels really paternalistic to suggest that queer people can/should be restricted to the few places in the world where our rights and safety are highly secure.
posted by dusty potato at 3:18 PM on March 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
I'm still boggling at "why would you bring drugs into any other country at all."
I don't know about "paternalistic," but there are definitely locations in the world I would not travel to because they would not be friendly to the likes of me. That'd be more for my own safety. As DirtyOldTown points out, if you go to a place that hates you...that just makes it worse if something happens.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:35 PM on March 7, 2022
I don't know about "paternalistic," but there are definitely locations in the world I would not travel to because they would not be friendly to the likes of me. That'd be more for my own safety. As DirtyOldTown points out, if you go to a place that hates you...that just makes it worse if something happens.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:35 PM on March 7, 2022
but there are definitely locations in the world I would not travel to because they would not be friendly to the likes of me
e.g.: Texas.
posted by mikelieman at 3:48 PM on March 7, 2022 [15 favorites]
e.g.: Texas.
posted by mikelieman at 3:48 PM on March 7, 2022 [15 favorites]
I find it incredible that so many folks believe there's any vapes or hash oil or whatever at all. Why do you think that? Because the Russian government says so?
The Russian government regularly assassinates its own citizens and the citizens of other countries. It frequently puts politically inconvenient citizens in jail on totally manufactured charges. It's unusual for them to detain an American citizen, and a celebrity at that. But then again it's unusual for them to be invading another country and in a simmering proxy war with the US.
I'm also frustrated by the sentiment expressed by "Not to mention Griner is openly gay. She never should have been in Russia at all." I'm trying to assume good faith and that this wasn't a proposal for special travel restrictions on Americans just for their sexual orientation. I'm a gay person myself and have been wanting to visit Russia for 20 years now but haven't, mostly out of disgust for the government there. But until this latest escalation in Russia's invasion of Ukraine I never would have thought I'd be personally unsafe. Even as a tourist, much less as an invited sports star working for a Russian basketball team.
Note that she may have been snatched more than a month ago, when it was a lot less clear that Russia was really going to go into open conflict with the rest of the world. I spent some time looking at the timeline here... the US started bringing embassy families home on Jan 23. The State Department has classified Russia as "Level 4: Do Not Travel" at least as far back as August 2021 for a variety of reasons. She may have felt safe travelling there given her status as a celebrity employed by a Russian team. I feel nothing but sadness and concern for her that turned out to not be true. The last thing I'm going to do is second guess her travel decisions.
posted by Nelson at 4:01 PM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
The Russian government regularly assassinates its own citizens and the citizens of other countries. It frequently puts politically inconvenient citizens in jail on totally manufactured charges. It's unusual for them to detain an American citizen, and a celebrity at that. But then again it's unusual for them to be invading another country and in a simmering proxy war with the US.
I'm also frustrated by the sentiment expressed by "Not to mention Griner is openly gay. She never should have been in Russia at all." I'm trying to assume good faith and that this wasn't a proposal for special travel restrictions on Americans just for their sexual orientation. I'm a gay person myself and have been wanting to visit Russia for 20 years now but haven't, mostly out of disgust for the government there. But until this latest escalation in Russia's invasion of Ukraine I never would have thought I'd be personally unsafe. Even as a tourist, much less as an invited sports star working for a Russian basketball team.
Note that she may have been snatched more than a month ago, when it was a lot less clear that Russia was really going to go into open conflict with the rest of the world. I spent some time looking at the timeline here... the US started bringing embassy families home on Jan 23. The State Department has classified Russia as "Level 4: Do Not Travel" at least as far back as August 2021 for a variety of reasons. She may have felt safe travelling there given her status as a celebrity employed by a Russian team. I feel nothing but sadness and concern for her that turned out to not be true. The last thing I'm going to do is second guess her travel decisions.
posted by Nelson at 4:01 PM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
When I say "She never should have been in Russia" I'm not judging anyone's personal choices. However she made this decision is none of my business. What I am judging is that women players have to bust their ass over the world to get the same thing that men get at home and now it really seems from the outside that this fact has put this woman in danger completely unnecessarily for the worst possible reasons and that's what I don't like.
posted by bleep at 4:03 PM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by bleep at 4:03 PM on March 7, 2022 [9 favorites]
Fair enough, thank you for clarifying.
posted by Nelson at 4:04 PM on March 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 4:04 PM on March 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
I find it incredible that so many folks believe there's any vapes or hash oil or whatever at all. Why do you think that? Because the Russian government says so?
She was apparently arrested over a month ago, well before the war, so there's no particular reason it was a fake arrest to make her a hostage. Now, it might have been a fake arrest for other reasons -- local corruption, racism/homophobia, hell maybe someone didn't like her beating their favorite team. But it's also possible that she got a little casual and didn't realize that someone might fuck her up over her CBD.
posted by tavella at 5:49 PM on March 7, 2022
She was apparently arrested over a month ago, well before the war, so there's no particular reason it was a fake arrest to make her a hostage. Now, it might have been a fake arrest for other reasons -- local corruption, racism/homophobia, hell maybe someone didn't like her beating their favorite team. But it's also possible that she got a little casual and didn't realize that someone might fuck her up over her CBD.
posted by tavella at 5:49 PM on March 7, 2022
She was apparently arrested over a month ago, well before the war, so there's no particular reason it was a fake arrest to make her a hostage.
You don't think an attack of choice to take over a country of 40 million people was planned in detail a month ago?
posted by each day we work at 11:20 PM on March 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
You don't think an attack of choice to take over a country of 40 million people was planned in detail a month ago?
posted by each day we work at 11:20 PM on March 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
Do I think that Russia had any idea that things would go as poorly for them as they did, and that they would opt for a not particularly famous WNBA player as their hostage of choice in a country with a number of other high profile Americans? No I do not.
posted by tavella at 12:13 AM on March 8, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by tavella at 12:13 AM on March 8, 2022 [7 favorites]
I find it incredible that so many folks believe there's any vapes or hash oil or whatever at all. Why do you think that? Because the Russian government says so?
The standard playbook from (former) Soviet/communist bloc types is to keep a sharp eye out for someone to let out a little slack on their rope, and then hang them with it. Framing people is not unheard of, but the standard play is to find something someone actually did and insist that in this particular circumstance, it was very bad, very bad indeed. Interpreting things that actually happened in bad faith/through the harshest possible lens is more standard than inventing things whole cloth.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:02 AM on March 8, 2022 [7 favorites]
The standard playbook from (former) Soviet/communist bloc types is to keep a sharp eye out for someone to let out a little slack on their rope, and then hang them with it. Framing people is not unheard of, but the standard play is to find something someone actually did and insist that in this particular circumstance, it was very bad, very bad indeed. Interpreting things that actually happened in bad faith/through the harshest possible lens is more standard than inventing things whole cloth.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:02 AM on March 8, 2022 [7 favorites]
New article today by the nation.
posted by 47WaysToLeaveYourLover at 2:41 PM on March 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by 47WaysToLeaveYourLover at 2:41 PM on March 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm so, so worried about her well-being, but I don't know if it's better to be loud about it or let diplomatic channels operate. I just don't know. It's beyond my ability to judge. I just hope she's okay.
posted by praemunire at 7:17 PM on March 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 7:17 PM on March 8, 2022 [4 favorites]
Russian court extends US basketball star Brittney Griner's arrest until May 19
posted by Nelson at 10:57 AM on March 17, 2022
According to TASS, Kalugina visited Griner at her pre-trial detention center. Kalugina was also quoted as saying the US consul has not visited the 31-year-old, despite Russian authorities' willingness to "create all conditions" for their visit.There was also an update a week ago that finally named a specific date for the arrest: February 17. That's a full month ago.
Earlier this month, Allred told ESPN that Griner had not been granted consular access -- a circumstance he called "really unusual."
posted by Nelson at 10:57 AM on March 17, 2022
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I appreciated LGBTQNation's story on Cherelle Griner's public statement, she's Brittney's wife.
posted by Nelson at 6:50 AM on March 7, 2022 [2 favorites]