“I wish to make an apology to my teammates, my membership, my lovers, and town of [Yekaterinburg] for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I introduced on them,” Griner stated in her observation. “I wish to additionally make an apology to my oldsters, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury group again at house, the fantastic ladies of the WNBA, and my wonderful partner again at house.”
Responding to her sentence, President Joe Biden slammed Russia for “wrongfully detaining” Griner, announcing he would “pursue each and every imaginable road” to convey her house.
“It’s unacceptable, and I name on Russia to unencumber her straight away so she will also be together with her spouse, family members, pals, and teammates,” Biden stated in a observation. “My management will proceed to paintings tirelessly and pursue each and every imaginable road to convey Brittney and Paul Whelan house safely once imaginable.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver additionally launched a joint observation condemning the decision.
“These days’s verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unlucky, however no longer surprising and Brittney Griner stays wrongly detained,” they stated. “The WNBA and NBA’s dedication to her protected go back has no longer wavered and it’s our hope that we’re close to the tip of this technique of after all bringing BG house to the USA.”
Griner prior to now testified that she used hashish oil prescribed through her physician to regard ache from sports activities accidents, however had packed her baggage in a rush and didn’t imply to convey them to Russia, the place she was once taking part in within the WNBA offseason. “As they ended up in my baggage unintentionally, I take duty, however I didn’t intend to smuggle or plan to smuggle [illegal substances] to Russia,” she had testified on July 27.
Griner additionally complained that her rights weren’t learn to her when she was once first arrested and that she didn’t obtain right kind translation services and products right through the investigation.
In a letter written to Biden closing month, Griner stated she was once “terrified” she may well be held in a Russian jail endlessly.
“I understand you might be coping with such a lot, however please don’t overlook about me and the opposite American Detainees,” she stated. “Please do all you’ll to convey us house.”
Colas, Griner’s agent, stated they preferred the Biden management’s efforts to convey basketball famous person and Whelan again to america.
“Bringing Brittney and Paul house is the only purpose, and as such, we must use all to be had gear,” Colas stated. “We will have to stay centered and unified. It is a time for compassion and a shared figuring out that obtaining a deal achieved to convey American citizens house might be arduous, however it’s pressing and it’s the proper factor to do.”
