One major off-the-court storyline loomed large over the 2022 WNBA campaign.
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for nearly 10 months before it was confirmed that she was safely returning to the United States. The 32-year-old, who played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February after the Russian Federal Customs Service claimed it found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
What is Griner's status? And how has the U.S. government approached her detainment amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
Here's how her legal situation has played out to this point.
Brittney Griner timeline: Her detainment in Russia and what followed
March 5 — The New York Times and Russian News agency TASS first reported that Griner was detained after customs service officials said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport. The customs service also released a video of an individual at the airport who appears to be Griner going through security.
Russian state TV showed a photo of Griner as part of a segment that aired on March 5. The photo was reportedly taken at a Russian police station.
Russian state TV has released a photo of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was arrested on drug charges in the country after Russian officials say cannabis oil was found in her luggage. CNN's @RosaFlores has the story. pic.twitter.com/SzB9MSSQfY
— CNN (@CNN) March 8, 2022
The WNBA released a statement saying the league would continue to support Griner and its top priority was "her swift and safe return to the United States." Griner's wife, Cherelle, also released a statement thanking fans for their "prayers and support" and asking for privacy as she worked on "getting my wife home safely."
A league spokesperson told The New York Times that all WNBA players other than Griner were out of Russia and Ukraine.
March 6 — United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed Griner's arrest during a press conference.
"There's only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point," Blinken said. "Let me just say more generally, whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia, as you know, and we've talked about this for a long time when we talk about seeking the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed for some time, both of whom are unjustly detained.
"We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia. We're doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected."
March 17 — A TASS report indicated that Griner's detention in Russia had been extended until May 19, allowing prosecutors to continue investigating her case.
"The court granted the petition of the investigation and extended the term of U.S. citizen Griner's detention until May 19," a Moscow court said, per TASS.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the department had been doing "everything we can" to support Griner but did not offer additional details because of privacy concerns. Griner and her representatives had not commented on how she would plead to the charges.
March 23 — After pushing for access to Griner, U.S. consular officials were able to visit her in Russia for the first time.
"A U.S. consular official was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. "We'll continue to work closely with her legal team and her broader network."
Griner had reportedly been able to communicate with her family through her attorneys.
April 27 — The Biden administration announced that former Marine Trevor Reed, who had been held in Russia since 2019, was released from custody as part of a prisoner exchange. Reed was accused of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020, though he has maintained his innocence.
"The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad."
ESPN reported that, while there are notable differences between the two cases, Griner's team was encouraged by Reed's release. Cherelle released a statement saying she was "overflowing with joy" for Reed's family.
"I do not personally know them, but I know the pain of having your loved one detained in a foreign country," Cherelle said in the statement. "That level of pain is constant and can only be remedied by a safe return home."
May 3 — ESPN reported that the U.S. government now considers Griner to be "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government. That means the U.S. government will seek to negotiate her return rather than let her legal case play out.
"Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home," Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said in a statement to ESPN.
A State Department official told ESPN that Griner is not considered a hostage, as that term falls under a different legal classification than wrongful detainee.
Additionally, the WNBA announced that it will feature Griner's initials and jersey number (No. 42) on the sideline of all WNBA courts this season. The league also granted the Mercury roster and salary cap relief so they can carry a replacement player. Griner will continue to be paid her full salary ($227,900).
"As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time."
May 13 — Griner's lawyer, Alexander Boykov, told The Associated Press that Griner's detention had been extended by one month. ESPN reported that a judge had denied a request to move Griner to home detention.
"We did not receive any complaints about the detention conditions from our client," Boykov said.
May 25 — Cherelle told ESPN that she requested a meeting with President Biden, but she has not yet spoken to him.
"If he is the person that can get my person back, I would love to meet him," Cherelle said. "I have requested a meeting with him. I hope he accepts in the near future to meet with me because I want my person back.
"I feel every second that BG is not here. Most people are counting by the days, but it's not days for me."
Cherelle Griner spoke with @angela_rye about the wrongful detainment of her wife, Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February 17. pic.twitter.com/tWym2nEYS1
— ESPN (@espn) May 26, 2022
In the same interview, Cherelle said that she is in a "position of complete vulnerability right now" and has to trust people she didn't know prior to Griner's detainment. While she has not spoken directly to her wife, she has been told that Griner is "doing OK."
June 13 — State Department officials met with members of the Mercury organization to discuss Griner's status.
"We're here to do whatever we can to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game and anything else that's going on in our lives," Mercury star Diana Taurasi said after the meeting. "We want BG to come home as soon as possible. It's number one on our list."
June 14 — A Russian court extended the detention for Griner through at least July 2, according to ABC News, which cited reporting from TASS. Her detention was extended at "the request of the investigation," according to a representative from the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region, per TASS.
June 27 — A Russian court set the start date of Griner's criminal trial for July 1, according to The Associated Press. Griner has been ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial.
July 1 — Griner's trial began in a Moscow court. A prosecutor claimed that Griner smuggled less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.
"Being sufficiently aware that the movement of narcotic drugs is not allowed... no later than February 17, 2022, at an unspecified location under unspecified circumstances from an unidentified person [Griner] bought two cartridges for personal use, which contained 0.252 grams and 0.45 grams of hash oil, totaling 0.702 grams," the prosecutor said, according to CNN, which cited reporting from TASS.
Griner did not enter a plea or make any comments on the charges.
July 4 — A handwritten latter from Griner was delivered to the White House. Griner's representatives shared this excerpt, among others:
I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.
July 5 — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that President Biden had read Griner's letter, saying that this issue is "a priority for this president."
"We believe she is wrongfully detained," Jean-Pierre said. "We believe she needs to come home."
.@PressSec on letter from Brittney Griner to President Biden: "The president did read the letter...This is an issue that is a priority for this president...We believe she is wrongfully detained. We believe she needs to come home." pic.twitter.com/yh3EN2vMkU
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 5, 2022
July 6 — President Biden spoke with Cherelle, reassuring her that he is "working to secure Brittney's release as soon as possible."
"The president offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance while his administration pursues every avenue to bring Brittney home," the White House said in a statement.
July 7 — Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges during a hearing in a Russian court, according to Reuters. She told the court she did not intend to commit a crime. Griner said she had packed in a hurry, according to CNN, which cited reporting from Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
"I'd like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said, per Reuters.
ESPN reported that Griner admitted guilt as part of her legal team's strategy because she hopes to travel back to the United States in a prisoner swap.
Blinken tweeted that the Biden administration still considers Griner to be wrongfully detained.
"[U.S.] officials again attended Brittney Griner's trial today and delivered to her a letter from President Biden," Blinken tweeted. "We will not relent until Brittney, Paul Whelan and all other wrongfully detained Americans are reunited with their loved ones."
July 9 — ABC News reported that former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who played a role in Reed's release from Russian detention, is expected to travel to Russia "in the next couple of weeks." Richardson is currently representing the Griner and Whelan families and working to secure the release of Griner and Whelan, a former Marine who has been held in Russia for three-and-a-half years.
"We asked the Richardson Center to help and I'm encouraged that he might be going," Cherelle said in a statement to ABC News through Griner's agent.
July 14 — UMMC Ekaterinburg general manager Maxim Ryabkov and team captain Evgeniya Belyakova appeared as character witnesses during Griner's trial, according to ESPN.
"Our task today was to tell the court about her characteristics as an athlete, as a person — tell about how she played a big role in the success of the Ekaterinburg club and Russian women's basketball as a whole," Ryabkov told reporters. "Today is the first day when we have seen our basketball player since February. Thank God, she feels well, looks good."
Belyakova said that Griner was a "very good teammate," adding that she hoped the trial would end soon "with a positive outcome."
July 15 — One of Griner's attorneys gave the court a doctor's letter that recommended she use medical cannabis to treat pain, according to The Associated Press. (Medical marijuana is not legal in Russia.)
"The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medical cannabis," Maria Blagovolina said. "The permission was issued on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health."
Griner's next hearing was scheduled to take place on July 26.
July 27 — During a press conference, Blinken revealed that the Biden administration "put a substantial proposal on the table" in order to facilitate the release of Griner and Whelan.
"Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal," Blinken said, adding that he plans to follow up with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
JUST IN: Sec. of State Antony Blinken says U.S. "put a substantial proposal on the table" to facilitate release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner from Russia. https://t.co/hi29tu0lxM pic.twitter.com/o38OuvHVTC
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 27, 2022
CNN reported that the Biden administration offered to exchange Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence, for Griner and Whelan.
Blinken's comments came on the same day that Griner testified at her trial. She claimed that an interpreter only translated a fraction of what was said while she was being detained at the airport. She also said that she didn't receive an explanation of her rights or access to a lawyer after she was initially detained.
"Nothing was ever explained to me thoroughly at all," Griner said, per The Associated Press. "There was a lot of short words — 'sign here' — and at that point, I felt like being held against my will so that's why I contacted my family and my agent and asked for legal representation."
The next hearing was scheduled to take place on Aug. 2.
Aug. 4 — A judge in Russia convicted Griner of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison, bringing an end to her trial. Prosecutors had asked the court to sentence Griner to nine-and-a-half years in prison, according to The Associated Press.
Legal experts viewed a verdict as a formality because the length of her detainment will ultimately be determined by negotiations on a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia.
President Biden issued the following statement on the verdict:
Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.
Sept. 15 — President Biden planned to meet with family members of Griner and Whelan on Sept. 16, according to The Associated Press. The meetings were "intended to underscore the administration’s commitment to bringing home Griner, Whelan and other Americans jailed abroad," per The Associated Press.
Oct. 3 — A Russian court set Oct. 25 as the date for Griner's appeal hearing, according to CBS News.
Oct. 25 — Griner's appeal was rejected, according to ESPN.
Nov. 3 — Jean-Pierre confirmed that Griner met with U.S. embassy officials. Jean-Pierre said that the U.S. government "made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions" of Griner and Whelan, per CNN.
"We are told [Griner is] doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances," Jean-Pierre said.
Nov. 9 — Griner was transferred to a Russian penal colony, but her Russian legal team didn't know where she was going, according to ESPN. The transfer process reportedly began on Nov. 4. Griner's attorneys and U.S. officials were not aware that Griner had been moved until Nov. 8.
"Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long," Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.
"As we have said before, the U.S. Government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens. In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels.
"The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan."
Dec. 8 — CBS News first reported that Griner was freed in a prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
President Biden confirmed that he had spoken to Griner alongside Cherelle, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner," President Biden said in a tweet. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT