“I need to ask for forgiveness to my teammates, my membership, my lovers, and the town of [Yekaterinburg] for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I introduced on them,” Griner stated in her observation. “I need to additionally ask for forgiveness to my oldsters, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury group again at house, the fantastic girls of the WNBA, and my superb partner again at house.”
Responding to her sentence, President Joe Biden slammed Russia for “wrongfully detaining” Griner, announcing he would “pursue each and every imaginable road” to deliver her house.
“It’s unacceptable, and I name on Russia to free up her straight away so she will also be along with her spouse, family members, pals, and teammates,” Biden stated in a observation. “My management will proceed to paintings tirelessly and pursue each and every imaginable road to deliver Brittney and Paul Whelan house safely once imaginable.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver additionally launched a joint observation condemning the decision.
“Nowadays’s verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unlucky, however now not surprising and Brittney Griner stays wrongly detained,” they stated. “The WNBA and NBA’s dedication to her protected go back has now not wavered and it’s our hope that we’re close to the top of this means of in spite of everything bringing BG house to the USA.”
Griner in the past testified that she used hashish oil prescribed through her physician to regard ache from sports activities accidents, however had packed her luggage in a rush and didn’t imply to deliver them to Russia, the place she was once taking part in within the WNBA offseason. “As they ended up in my luggage by chance, I take duty, however I didn’t intend to smuggle or plan to smuggle [illegal substances] to Russia,” she had testified on July 27.
Griner additionally complained that her rights weren’t learn to her when she was once first arrested and that she didn’t obtain correct translation services and products right through the investigation.
In a letter written to Biden final month, Griner stated she was once “terrified” she could be held in a Russian jail ceaselessly.
“I understand you’re coping with such a lot, however please don’t overlook about me and the opposite American Detainees,” she stated. “Please do all you’ll to deliver us house.”
Colas, Griner’s agent, stated they favored the Biden management’s efforts to deliver basketball celebrity and Whelan again to america.
“Bringing Brittney and Paul house is the only real purpose, and as such, we must use all to be had gear,” Colas stated. “We will have to stay targeted and unified. This can be a time for compassion and a shared figuring out that obtaining a deal completed to deliver American citizens house can be laborious, however it’s pressing and it’s the proper factor to do.”
