Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said she had e-cigarette cartridges in her luggage.
US basketball authorities have said that the American star basketball player, who was detained in Moscow on drug possession charges, is two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner.
The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Federal Customs Service said on Saturday that the man had won two Olympic gold medals with the United States, without disclosing the player’s name. It added that screening the hand luggage of a US citizen who arrived on a flight from New York in February “confirmed the presence of ‘vapes’ (and) a liquid with a specific smell.”
It said that the expert determined that the liquid was narcotic cannabis oil. The customs service said that the detained woman faces a prison term of five to ten years.
U.S. basketball authorities made it clear that the woman was the Griner’s star. The 31-year-old is a WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship with Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star.
The news comes after the State Department issued a “no travel” advisory for Russia on Saturday due to its incursion into Ukraine and urged all U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately, citing factors such as “the possibility of U.S. citizens being harassed by Russian officials.” security services.” and the “limited ability of the embassy to provide assistance” to Americans in Russia.
USA Basketball, the sport’s governing body in the United States, said on Twitter that it “is aware of and closely following the legal situation that Britney Griner is facing in Russia.”
It added, “Britney has always conducted herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure in USA Basketball, and her safety and well-being are our primary concern.”
USA Basketball is aware of and closely following the legal situation that Britney Griner is facing in Russia. Britney has always conducted herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure in USA Basketball and her safety and well being are our top concern.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) March 5, 2022
The team issued a statement echoing the language of US basketball, adding, “We love and support Britney and our primary concern at this time is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”
At 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters), she is the only woman in US college history to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.
Many WNBA athletes spend the American offseason playing in European leagues, including the Russian and Ukrainian leagues.