Having the support of the State Department and fans around the world gives the Phoenix Mercury confidence that their player will be freed from Russia. There is a time and a place for this.
State Department officials met with members of the Phoenix Mercury on Monday to discuss the situation in Russia and the efforts to get her released.
The State Department confirmed that there was a meeting between officials from the office that advocates for hostages and wrongly held Americans.
Diana Taurasi said after the meeting that there was a lot involved in getting her back home. "We're here to do everything we can to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game or anything else in our lives." It's our number one priority to get BG home as soon as possible.
The Mercury are in Washington to play the Mystics. The team met with the State Department at their hotel on Monday.
The administration has said that it is trying to bring two Americans home from Russia.
The State Department at the highest level, from U.S. President Joe Biden to the team that is working on bringing back all Americans who are wrongly imprisoned, gives us a lot of confidence.
After a search of her bag at the airport in Russia, authorities found a cannabis derivative in her e-cigs. The State Department transferred oversight of her case to the State Department's Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs after she was reclassified as wrongly imprisoned.
The Mercury are on day 116 since they have been wrongly held. "It was great to hear from the State Department that we should continue to amplify that message and that we should continue to press all those who have any influence or power to help bringBG home." She's an American and we want her to come back to us.
After the meeting with the State Department, the Mercury players and staff met with two politicians from different parts of the country.
Every day without her is a lifetime for the Mercury. I was happy to share the work we're doing in Congress in order to get her released.
The players in the league have been pushing the president to help get her home.
The email account her agent set up allowed the players to send letters to her. After they are approved by Russian officials, the emails are printed out and delivered to her in small batches. Once the lawyers return to their office, they'll send the responses back to the U.S., where the players can read them.
The AP and Josh Weinfuss contributed to the report.
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