Griner faces up to 10 years in jail for the charge, and prosecutors asked for 9.5 years in closing arguments. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images), Cherelle Griner, wife of Olympian and WNBA player Brittney Griner, speaks after President Biden announced Brittney's release from Russian custody at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The 31-year-old, two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time all-star with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury had been in police custody for over six months after police at a Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in Griner's luggage. WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian in Exchange for International Arms Dealer (Podcast Episode 2022) Quotes on IMDb: Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, TV series and more. My dad and my mom have always told me, 'Be who you are.'. Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who as a player spent years in Russia and won Olympic bronze for her adopted country, said it was upsetting to see a fellow member of the tight-knit women's basketball community locked up for nearly six months. Brittney Griner. Griner spent 294 days in . This stems from a comment she made during the 2020 WNBA season. I was always taught you turn your head at somebody coming after you, you're going to get hit in the back of the head or worse. No one's telling you what to do, nothing's planned out. His writings have appeared in, Hunter Biden Cashed In to Fuel His Drug and Sex Habits, Targeting People With Mental Illness and Dementia for Euthanasia. I think its easy to be an outsider and wish the worst. The diplomat's comments marked the first . He is the only NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. Market data provided by Factset. In response to this, an anchor at "One America News" referred to the WNBA star as an "American hating lesbian pothead. as well as other partner offers and accept our. In that 2020 interview with The Republic, Griner said: "I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season," Griner said. Its easy to spread hate on social media. I've always been pretty athletic, but when I got really tall, I just felt awkward. A Russian court has upheld a nine-year prison sentence against US basketball player Brittney Griner, prompting renewed calls from the United States for her release.. A Moscow-area court on Tuesday . On the bright side, she has not had to hear the National Anthem for 170 days.https://t.co/t7tqWBjaBa, Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) August 6, 2022. "I honestly feel we should not play the National Anthem during our season.". In July 2020, amid the George Floyd protests sweeping across the nation, WNBA star Brittney Griner vowed not to take the court during the national anthem for the entire season. A motion filed June 29 details . but Brittney is a gay, black woman so there was really no other option, right? Watch on. In that . Griner (right) competes for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA . I have seen reports that they had the choice to select former US Marine Paul Whelan and went with the anti-American drug using WNBA basketball player. While the WNBA still plans to play the song . It will be all season long, Ill not be out there. Two lightning bolts bookend the words "Free Brittney Griner" in her display name, and her feed is mostly a steady stream of Griner updates beneath a header image of a basketball flanked by . This is yet another sad example of the toxic discourse that pops up on almost every issue, including an Olympic gold medalist being held as a political prisoner. Speaking of freedom, one of our greatest freedoms is the right to protest. "Owning The Middle". Washington Post. She got several awards as the best player in the WNBA . Social media mocked Griner's stance after she was sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty and convicted of drug possession and smuggling by a judge in Russia last week. Indeed. As expected, most did not take well to Brittney Griner's comments regarding the national anthem. I think more people should be open to talking about mental health issues. Jamison Firestone has dedicated his life to fighting government corruption, particularly involving . "Owning The Middle". Anybody that's different, be who you are. In the past, the Times' Jonathan Abrams continues in that same article, "Russia has been detaining and sentencing American citizens on what United States officials often say are trumped-up charges.". Jerome Solomon , Staff writer. 'The city, the team, the players, the organization, front office really got behind me and everything I wanted to do. Without advising Congress first as required by law, Obama secretly released five of our Guantanamo prisoners, representing the best of Arab Islamic murderers, in return for Bergdahl. I always say I don't want to change the game - just add to it. But during moments of international crisis like the early days of the pandemic or right now, as Russia wages war in Ukraine WNBA players taking on second jobs overseas becomes all the more perilous. Molly Knight. I don't put myself in categories. "I have been in prison for 10 months now, listening to Russian. I take ownership of mine, no place for that in sports, and I apologize to everybody that was there. In the summer of 2020, Brittney Griner . 56 Copy quote. On top of not wanting it in the WNBA, Griner believes the national anthem doesn't need to be in sports in general. Reading what people say makes me want to be me even more. Following the news of the prisoner swap, "Brittney Griner hates America" continues to trend. Griner was in court Thursday as two members of her Russian basketball club, a teammate and the general manager, vouched for her character. Many believe the USA should not have swapped her for Viktor Bout, especially considering the fact that they believe shes anti-American. Its easy to spread hate on social media. Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) December 8, 2022, A user tweeted, I have seen reports that they had the choice to select former US Marine Paul Whelan and went with the anti-American drug using WNBA basketball player.. Lib Fails (@LibFails) December 8, 2022, Biden Sends Merchant of Death Arms Dealer Back to Russia for a woke anti-American WNBA Player Brittney Griner! , What do both prisoners have in common? I'm an outdoor person. Her comments about the anthem resurfaced online after sentencing. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Following these comments, the narrative started to form that Brittney Griner hates America. Quotes.net. The best of America? Alas, the court denied the sought annulment, so Griner got stuck with the order to pay child support for the twins. US officials: Russia frees WNBA player Brittney Griner in prisoner swap, with US releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. https://www.snopes.com/ap/2022/08/05/kremlin-says-griner-swap-must-be-discussed-without-publicity/. Its easy to not know all the facts. Accessed 9 Aug. 2022. Happy, Strong, Women. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When I go into a sports bar, some of the people I wouldn't think would watch women's basketball are there watching. Im hopeful BG and all other Americans wrongfully detained overseas can make it home asap! We went 40-0 - the first men's or women's team in history to ever do that. Movies. 5 Mar. Whether her detainment is connected to the larger geopolitical feud or not, Griner almost certainly wouldn't be in this situation if not for this pay disparity. The 6-foot-9 Phoenix Mercury superstar now faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison for "large-scale transportation of drugs," according to The New York Times. This woman/man (who knows?) We can either use it for ourselves or we can use it to bring awareness to issues that are going on in the world. 743. So, it wasn't hard at all. Her comments about the anthem resurfaced online after sentencing. I'm a big supporter of the LGBT community and stopping bullying. She has mentioned that this has always prompted to keep her country at a high level. Cherelle Griner, wife of Olympian and WNBA player Brittney Griner, speaks after President Biden announced Brittney's release from Russian custody at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. https://www.snopes.com/ap/2022/08/04/wnbas-griner-convicted-at-drug-trial-sentenced-to-9-years/. I got called a boy all the time. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP), WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner holds images standing in a cage at a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki, just outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022. 8 July 2022, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/britney-griner-national-anthem-b2118955.html. Brittney Griner is thought to have been detained for nearly four weeks. At the end of the day many people lack compassion & critical thinking skills and its not my responsibility to teach that. "I'm going to protest regardless," she said. And long. Accessed 9 Aug. 2022. She was first detained at a Moscow-area airport after Russian . On the bright side, she has not had to hear the National Anthem for 170 days, Sebastian Gorka said. And no matter how much support I felt as a basketball player at Baylor, it still doesn't erase all the pain I felt there. I've had moments when I questioned my place in the world. At the height of the George Floyd protests against racism and police brutality, Griner made headlines when she called on the WNBA to stop playing the national anthem. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Her comments about the anthem resurfaced online after sentencing. I like extreme sports too. We've seen protests on Brittney Griner's behalf in New York, Washington and other cities. It's easy for people to say stuff when they don't know the full story. Griner has already been detained in the country for three weeks according to a fellow WNBA player and, given escalating tensions between the United States and Putin's regime, could spend an extended period of time in Russian custody. Catching the ball, it was bad. https://www.quotes.net/author.php?name=Brittney+Griner. I didn't even play basketball. WNBA star Brittney Griner's drug possession trial resumed on Thursday. With your hash oils for to dine: However, despite all this, many believe that Griner is anti-American. I wanted to be a cop before basketball. I know society puts it, Oh, this is masculine and this is feminine. Brittney Griner had a advantage of living in solitary confinement without human contact by having played in the WNBA. Following the news of the prisoner swap, "Brittney Griner hates America" continues to trend. A Russian court announced it has extended the arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman. It looks like the Biden White House might be lying about the Brittney Griner prisoner swap. Respectfully, get a life trolls. The basketball star made her comments during a teleconference in July 2020, reported Arizona Republic at the time. Bostons Jeff Bagwell to Houston for Larry Anderson. Snopes Collection: George Floyd Protests. Griner was detained at a Moscow-area airport in . Brittney Griner sentenced. He ultimately was dishonorably discharged for desertion and misbehavior. Brittney . "I'm not going to be out there for the National Anthem. WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner stands listening to a verdict in a courtroom in Khimki, just outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022.
