Brittney Griner seemingly knew her fate in Russian court, calling her final hearing 'doomsday,' her lawyer said

• The lawyer said that the sentencing hearing was doomsday.

• We told her to go see us on Thursday. Maria Blagovolina told the news agency that she was told to "see you on doomsday."

• She was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison for drug-smuggling.

When she spoke to her lawyer earlier in the week, she said that Thursday's hearing and sentencing would be her last.

"We told her to see her on Thursday when we saw her on Tuesday," Blagovolina said.

Blagovolina said that the two-time Olympic gold medalist replied "see you on doomsday."

The lawyer said it looks like she was correct when she said it looks like she was right.

She has been in Russian custody since February, when she was stopped at a Moscow airport and found to have drugs in her luggage. She was found guilty of criminal intent in bringing cannabis to Russia at the end of her trial.

As part of her legal team's appeals for mercy, she pleaded guilty to the charges against her. The prosecutors recommended a nine-and-a-half-year sentence, which is six months less than the maximum sentence.

After the 31-year-old received her sentence, the president called on Russia to release her. Biden promised that his administration would continue to work hard and pursue every possible avenue to bring the two Americans home as soon as possible, seemingly alluding to a possible prisoner exchange that took place last week.

The White House seemed to confirm that it had offered to swap a convicted Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, in exchange for the early release of the two men.

Russia said it would be interested in the swap if the US freed a Russian who was sentenced to death in Germany for murder.

A senior White House official said that the counter was a bad faith attempt to avoid a very serious offer. The US and Russia are still far apart on a deal to bring the Americans home.

Now that the eight-time WNBA All-Star is facing the possibility of spending nearly a decade at a penal colony, all eyes are on Biden to secure her freedom.

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