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The wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was arrested in Russia last month, thanked everyone for supporting the Phoenix Mercury center as she deals with apparent legal troubles.
Cherell Griner posted a photo Sunday of her with the basketball star and wrote a message to fans awaiting more details about the incident with the WNBA player.
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Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury kisses his wife Cherell Griner in the stands after the Mercury defeated the Las Vegas Aces 87–84 in Game 5 of the 2021 WNBA Playoff Semi-Finals to win the series at the Michelob ULTRA Arena on October 8, 2021. , in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“Thank you to everyone who contacted me regarding the safe return of my wife from Russia. We really appreciate your prayers and support,” Sherel Griner wrote on Instagram. “I love my wife with all my heart, so this message comes at one of the weakest moments in my life. I understand that many of you have come to love BG over the years and have concerns and need more details. Please respect our privacy as we continue to work towards my wife’s safe return home.
“Thanks!”
Griner was arrested last month at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said e-cigarette cartridges were found during a search of her luggage.
Russian customs officials said on Saturday that the cartridges were identified as containing cannabis-derived oil, which could carry a maximum penalty of 19 years in prison.
Brittney Griner of UMMC Yekaterinburg and Satou Saballi of Fenerbahce Oznur Kablo during the Euroleague Women’s Final Four match between Fenerbahce Oznur Kablo and UMMC Yekaterinburg at the Volkswagen Arena on April 16, 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey. (BSR/Getty Images)
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“We are aware of the situation with Britney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representative in Russia, her family, her teams, as well as the WNBA and NBA,” Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Kolas said Saturday. “Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment on the details of her case, but we can confirm that while we work to bring her home, her mental and physical health remains our top concern.”
The WNBA has also expressed support for one of its top stars.
“Britney Griner has the full support of the WNBA and our top priority is her quick and safe return to the United States,” the league said in a statement.
Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury watches a game against the Chicago Sky during Game 1 of the 2021 WNBA Finals on October 10, 2021 at the Footprint in Phoenix, Arizona. (Michael Gonzalez/NBAE via Getty Images)
While Griner has spent her summer playing for the Mercury since leaving Baylor, she has spent the last seven winters in Russia, where she earns more than $1 million a season. That figure is more than four times her WNBA salary.
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She last played for her Russian team UMMC-Yekaterinburg on January 29, after which the league took a two-week break in early February for the qualifying tournaments for the FIBA World Championship.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.