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In February, WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for carrying cannabis oil. After multiple court hearings, she was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court. Despite efforts from the U.S. government, the situation has not changed yet. On October 25, Russian court officials will hear Griner’s appeal of the sentence. Griner’s wife, Cherelle is worried that if the order is finalized Griner could be moved to a labor camp.

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Two months ago in an interview, Cherelle stated her spouse has ?truly suffered beyond her crime already.? She added Griner is a “hostage” in Russia. Cherelle said, ?B.G.?s at her absolute weakest moment in life right now. She?s very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia.?

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READ MORESerious Medical Condition Brittney Griner Still Might Be Battling With While in Russian Prison

While many celebrities are not happy with the efforts of the government, Cherelle feels that President Joe Biden is doing his best. But she feels that is not enough for her spouse to be back. She believes Vladimir Putin should have the “same mindset.” Furthermore, she added Putin should consider Griner as an asset who came to the country to help the country in sports.

Celebrities show support to Brittney Griner

Ever since her arrest, Brittney Griner has been receiving support from everywhere. The WNBA came together and showed their support for her in every game. Also, many celebrities voiced their support for her. NBA superstar Stephen Curry along with WNBA stars reminded everyone about her situation during the ESPYs. The Boston Celtics showed their support even during the last season’s NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors by wearing ‘We Are BG’ shirts.

The Phoenix Mercury center missed the whole WNBA season as the Las Vegas Aces won the title. Players of the Mercury struggled throughout the season with the whole ordeal. Furthermore, the issues surrounding their owner Robert Sarver hit them hard as well.

Russia has been a huge attraction for players around the world for many years now. Because of the improved salary, players opt to play there during the WNBA offseason. However, the rules of the country are certainly different from the U.S.

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After the former title winner’s arrest, WNBA players have reportedly decided not to play for a Russian organization. With Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, the timing might not be good as well. Recently, team USA won the FIBA world cup in Australia as they beat China in the finals. After winning the trophy, Breanna Stewart stated the win is dedicated to Griner.

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Bagavathi Eswaran

1,520 Articles

Bagavathi Eswaran is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, having a strong passion for the sport since the age of ten. As a former college player, Bagavathi has been following the NBA for more than a decade and has found his calling in writing about the sport. He has used his expertise in covering the NBA, as well as other arenas of the sport, to write more than 1400 articles at ES. Bagavathi's pieces on the increasingly dominant presence of European basketball and those following the journey of women-ballers are particularly noteworthy. Along with being a full-time writer, he is also a part of a group of young coaches groomed as trainers by Junior NBA. Bagavathi has trained players from schools and colleges, as well as underprivileged students who can attend the camps for free.

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