Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for months after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage, has officially been found guilty of drug possession and smuggling by a Russian court.On Aug.
4, the Phoenix Mercury player was sentenced to 9 years in prison and given a fine of 1 million rubles (approximately $16,500) after she was found guilty.
Brittney has had an uphill battle trying to have her criminal case acquitted in a trial that experts said was unlikely to be fair and that Russian authorities are using her as a diplomatic bargaining chip amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.The Olympic gold medalist has played in Russia for the last seven winters, earning more than $1 million per season -- more than quadruple her WNBA salary, according to the Associated Press.
She last played for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on Jan. 29, before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments.
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