Basketball legend Lisa Leslie said she and others in the women’s basketball world were “ordered” not to speak too loudly about Britney Griner’s arrest in Russia for fear of turning her into a “political pawn”.
Leslie, a former Los Angeles Sparks center known as the face of the WNBA, spoke on the I Am Athlete podcast about the tense situation.
“We were told not to make a big fuss about this, so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation and war,” Leslie said in an excerpt from the podcast, which is being aired. completely on Monday.
Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in mid-February by Russian authorities who alleged she was transporting hash oil vape cartridges at the airport. She was in Russia playing for the local team, a common practice for WNBA players due to the higher pay.
But Griner’s detention was not reported in the US until March, after the arrest was reported by Russian customs officials and news outlets.
The fact that Griner’s initial arrest apparently went unnoticed, as well as the relative lull in the US media and the WNBA even after the news broke, drew criticism, notably a New York Magazine article asking “Why Brittney Griner isn’t the biggest sports story ever.” ? in the country?”
Russia announced the arrest about a week and a half after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, sparking speculation that officials hoped to use Griner to pressure the US.
Leslie’s comments indicated that people close to the situation shared this concern, although she did not say where exactly the instruction not to stir up “hype” came from.
“I won’t say who said it, but it’s something that’s spreading throughout the women’s basketball world,” she said.
Britney Griner pictured in 2021.Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
She added that those who care about Griner struggled with whether silence was really the right thing to do.
“It’s heartbreaking for all of us,” she said.
Griner remains imprisoned in Russia. A US embassy official who was allowed to see her said she was in “good condition,” the US State Department said earlier this week.
The WNBA did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for Leslie’s comment. The organization said in a statement earlier this month that it is “working hard” to bring Griner home.