Brittany Griner Found Guilty! Faces Up To 9 Years!

 

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been found guilty and faces up to 10 yearsin Russian prison for allegedly having a small amount of cannabis in vape cartridges packed in luggage she brought through a Moscow airport earlier this year.

Russian prosecutors have asked the judge for a nine-and-a-half-year sentence for the Phoenix Mercury player. A sentence is expected to be handed down later Thursday.

Any sentence, however, would be thrown out if American and Russian authorities struck a deal on a prisoner swap. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed last week that the U.S. had put forth a “substantial offer,”

reportedlysuggesting that Griner and another American prisoner, former Marine Paul Whelan, be exchanged for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Griner pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession, but said in court Thursday that she had made an honest mistake and apologized for bringing “embarrassment” on her Russian teammates.

“I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home,” she added. Griner has been married to her wife, Cherelle Griner, since 2019.