WNBA Star Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges In Russia

Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drug charges in Russia.

She explained to a Russian judge that she had done so “inadvertently” and asked the court for mercy, ESPN reported.

“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” the 31-year-old said.

She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.

Sources said the guilty plea to charges of drug possession and smuggling was a strategy to help facilitate a prisoner swap that could bring Griner home, and it also was a recognition that there was no way she was going to be acquitted.

U.S. officials and Russia experts have described the trial on drug smuggling charges as “theater,” with a guilty verdict seen as a foregone conclusion.

Thursday was the second day of her trial on charges that she tried to bring vape cartridges containing hashish oil into Russia on Feb. 17, where she was detained by customs officials at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

Experts believe that the resolution in the case will be a prisoner exchange with Russia for Russians detained in the United States being traded for Griner and possibly another American, Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since December 2018.

Whelan’s family is furious with the administration of President Joe Biden after the president spoke to Griner’s wife but has not contacted them, The Independent reported.

“It’s really wonderful they have resources far beyond what our family does,” Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan, said. “Our concern is why the outreach to some families and not others?”

“I was astonished to hear about this call and it did make me wonder,” she said. “Should we be pushing for a meeting with the president? Is that what it’s going to take to bring my brother home?”

“What I would really like to see is a functioning process that didn’t require that,” she said.

Griner penned a letter to President Biden to ask for his assistance.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” she said in an excerpt shared with the media.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the Griner situation on Wednesday.

“Can you preview a little bit of what’s in the President’s letter to Brittney Griner?  And does the public support coming out right now help or hurt the ability of the U.S. government to get her out of Russia?” a reporter said.

“Let me just start with the first — the first part of your question, which is — and lay this down a little bit about what happened today,” the press secretary said.

“So President Biden spoke with Brittney — Brittney’s wife, Cherelle, today to make sure she knows we are doing everything we can to get Brittney home as quickly as possible.  President Biden shared the letter with her — with her that he is sending back to Brittney after receiving her deeply personal letter on July 4th, which all of you read,” she said.

“The President has been clear about the need to see every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad released, including Brittney Griner.  Months ago, he directed his national security team to pursue every avenue to bring her home safely to her family, friends, and loved ones.  This has been top of mind for the President.  He receives daily updates about the status of her — of her negotiations to secure Brittney’s release, and the U.S. government continues to work aggressively using every available means to bring her home, along with other wrongfully detained Americans like Paul Whelan.

“And so, this is, again, a top priority for this President. And like I — like I just read, he gets daily updates on what is happening, how we’re going to secure her ho- — her efforts to come home and also Paul Whelan,” she said.

In 2020 Griner took a stand against playing the National Anthem at WNBA games.

“I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season,” she said, The Arizona Republic reported. “I think we should take that much of a stand.”

“I’m going to protest regardless,” she said. “I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that’s fine. It will be all season long, I’ll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself.”