“President Biden, Bring Brittney Griner Home”: The director switches to politics and calls for the release of the WNBA star imprisoned in Russia as he accepts the Oscar for the documentary “Queen of Basketball”.
- Ben Proudfoot appealed to President Biden to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia at the Oscars on Sunday
- At the time of comment, Proudfoot was accepting the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for “The Queen of Basketball.”
- “President Biden: Bring Brittney Griner home!” Proudfoot said after accepting the award
- The short documentary follows the story of Harris as the first and only woman to be drafted into the NBA in 1977
- Meanwhile, the Phoenix Mercury star has been behind bars in a Russian prison since his drug arrest there in February
An Oscar winner asked President Joe Biden to bring jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner home while accepting his award in one of the few references to Russia or the war in Ukraine during Sunday’s telecast.
“President Biden: Bring Brittney Griner home!” Ben Proudfoot said after winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for The Queen of Basketball.
The documentary follows the story of Lusia Harris as the first and only woman to be drafted into the NBA in 1977.
On Sunday, Proudfoot turned the spotlight on the plight of Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who has been behind bars in Russia since her drug arrest at a Moscow airport in February.
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Filmmaker Ben Proudfoot accepts the Documentary Short Subject Award for ‘The Queen of Basketball’ onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday at the Dolby Theater
Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury during the first half of game four of the 2021 WNBA Semifinals at Footprint Center on October 06, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) shoots against the Chicago sky during the first half of game two of the 2021 WNBA Finals at the Footprint Center
After repeated requests, a Foreign Ministry official in Moscow was granted consular access to Griner on Wednesday.
“Within the last few hours, an official from our embassy was granted consular access to Brittney Griner,” Price said in an interview with CNN.
“We have been able to verify her condition, we will continue to work very closely with her legal team and her wider network to ensure she is treated fairly,” Price added.
“Our officer has determined that Brittney Griner is in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure she is treated fairly during this ordeal.”
Brittney Griner Appears on Video WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow court where she reportedly pleaded not guilty to drug charges
Griner, a former No. 1 draft pick playing for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was being held in a Russian prison during a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
She was accused by Russian authorities of bringing vape cartridges containing hash oil into the country last month.
Last week, Griner was seen for the first time since her arrest after pleading not guilty in a Moscow court.
Russian officials have also extended their detention until May 19 while they investigate the charges.
Pictured: a screenshot of an old newspaper clipping of Lucy Harris, the first woman ever drafted by the NBA
Harris, pictured, was a pioneer in women’s basketball, having led a rural college in Mississippi to three national titles and scoring the first basket in 1976 women’s Olympics history
Proudfoot’s documentary tells the story of Lusia “Lucy” Harris Stewart, a women’s basketball pioneer who led a rural Mississippi college to three national titles, scored the first basket in women’s Olympic history in 1976, and became the first and only woman drafted into the NBA.
In the seventh round of the 1977 NBA Draft, Harris was selected 137th overall by the New Orleans Jazz.
Harris never expressed an interest in playing in the NBA, and it was later revealed that she was pregnant at the time, preventing her from attending Jazz’s training camp.
She was selected over 33 male players.
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