Customs officials at the airport near Moscow said they found a quantity of hashish oil in her luggage. Legal experts and league sources agree that the timing couldn't be worse, coming amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a collapse in U.S.-Russia relations.
There are many unknowns about what's next for Griner, even though reports of her detention prompted messages of concern and support from across the United States. Her agent, executive vice president Lindsay Kagawa Colas of Wasserman Media Group, has said that she is in close contact with the family and legal representation of the player.
We spoke to Tom Firestone, a lawyer specializing in international criminal and compliance matters, who spent eight years as the U.S. Department of Justice's resident legal adviser at the U.S. embassy in Moscow.
Colin Allred, a U.S. congressman from Texas, said in an interview that he had heard that the basketball player was held by Russian officials. Allred said that the House Foreign Affairs Committee has been in contact with US embassy employees in Russia, but that they have not been able to see him.
The New York Times was the first to report on the incident.
Russian article 229.1 states that an illegal crossing of a customs border with illegal narcotics can result in a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. She could face 10 to 20 years if it is determined she has a significant amount.
The Russian criminal justice system and the political world are both possibilities for a resolution. They say that it is a benefit to stay out of politics. Russia has a strong anti-drug culture, so either path could be dangerous.
She should try to get the best Russian lawyer that she can, scrutinize the evidence, see what legal challenges she may have to the evidence, and try to get it through the system that way.
The Russian judicial system is overwhelmed by the number of people arrested in anti-war protests and it could take months for her case to be heard. It could work in her favor, as prosecutors might want to dispose of her case quickly to deal with the domestic upheaval.
If the case becomes political, she is at the mercy of Putin. He will keep her as a "chit" if he wants to negotiate with her. High-level officials from the two countries worked out a deal that gave Russia control of an area in Jerusalem. Russia denied there was a connection between the events, but Putin pardoned the woman. There was something specific Putin wanted from Israel. As the Ukrainian invasion continues, it is not clear what he would want from the U.S. government.
If it becomes too high-profile, the Russian government may look into it. It may make it difficult for her to get a good resolution of the case, and she could become a pawn in a bigger political battle.
She can, with the caveat that her case does not enter the political realm. She will have her own Russian attorney who will try to strike a deal with the prosecutor if it is treated as a criminal case. She will probably have to make a confession that is likely to be embarrassing.
It's not clear where he is being held.
The people closest to her had been trying to work out the situation before it became public, and the players are aware of that. Most of the players in the WNBA have experience with international travel and living abroad. This situation is frightening for all of them. Everyone wants to help her, but they don't want to say anything that might jeopardize that. The league's coaches, agents, and the WNBA itself all have the same thing in common.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has severed any remaining ties between the two countries. The United States allowed non-emergency employees and family members to leave its embassy in Moscow at the end of February.
There are fewer U.S. diplomats in Moscow who might be able to help her. As the Russian military continues to bomb and kill Ukrainian civilians, other pressing matters demand their attention.
The Secretary of State said that the United States will provide every possible assistance to citizens being held in foreign countries. He said the State Department has an embassy team working on the cases of Americans who are held in Russia and that they are doing everything they can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected.
The State Department warned Americans not to travel to Russia because of the risk of harassment.
The Russian government has enacted laws aimed at scaling back rights and fomenting societal intolerance for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer community.
Since she started playing in the WNBA, she has been open about her sexuality. The players who go to Russia have said they are aware of the climate but feel they won't be targeted because they are high-profile guests in the country.
The Russian government is not friendly towards the LGBTQ community, and the fear is that her sexuality will hurt her case.
The U.S. World Cup team that will compete this fall in Australia will be a key part of the team that won gold medals in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. She is a US representative in international basketball.
The USA Basketball governing body issued a statement Saturday in support ofBrittney when the news of her detention broke: "Brittney has always handled herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball, and her safety and well."
She was there to supplement her income. She has played in Russia. Since at least the 1970s, women's basketball players from the United States have competed overseas. Many Russian teams since the break-up of the Soviet Union have been funded by billionaires. Some of them have thought of owning those teams as personal statements.
The team Griner plays for is owned by the company that produces nickel, copper, coal and lead. Many of the best American players have been brought in for several years to play for the team, which is positive publicity for the company and an entertainment perk for its workers.
The amount of money that overseas teams can pay top Americans is often more than the amount that the WNBA can offer. Each team has a hard salary cap of over a million dollars. In many overseas leagues, team costs are written off as business expenses, whereas in the WNBA, team costs are set up to be a profit for owners.
There are limits to how many American players an overseas team can have. Many Americans obtain dual citizenship so they don't count as an American on the roster. In the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Hammon played for Russia. The person does not have dual Russian citizenship.
The comfort level of the WNBA players is likely to have been higher in Russia. They considered themselves safe despite having spoken about getting bored and lonely. According to agents, they thought their players would be safe in Russia this year, and they were having discussions with the WNBPA about player welfare throughout the month. After the invasion of Ukraine, agents began working to get clients out of Russia. At that point, he had already been taken into custody.
All of the players from the WNBA have left Russia and Ukraine.
Russian basketball ownership has been a major part of the country's economy, and UMMC is a huge corporation in the country under the control of owner Iskander Makhmudov. Under normal circumstances, UMMC officials would be interested in the safety and protection of Griner.
Russian oligarchs are dealing with a lot during a war and under sanctions. Whether UMMC would get involved with an American's legal case in the Russian court system, even though Griner is its employee, remains to be seen. The potential involvement of the oligarchs might not make a difference if they are seen as a political pawn.
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