By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained by Russian authorities at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after vape cartridges with hashish oil were found in her luggage, according to multiple reports.
On Saturday (5/3) morning, the Federal Customs Service said that they arrested a US citizen who was carrying a consignment of drugs in February. The authorities didn’t provide the name of the detainee but mentioned that the person is a “professional basketball player, a member USA Basketball and a two-time Olympic champion.”
Russian News Agency TASS later reported that the player is Griner. The 31-year-old center has been having multiple stints in Russia over the last seven years with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
A criminal case has been opened against Grinner and she could be facing a sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison. Griner remains in custody while the investigation is ongoing.
Griner is a former WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury (2014. She has been a seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring leader, among multiple other accolades.
In Europe, Grinner has won the EuroLeague Women with Ekaterinburg four times (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021).