Among the Americans in Russian custody is WNBA star Brittney Griner, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged other Americans to leave the country while the U.S. is working to bring detained Americans home.
Griner was arrested and detained at a Moscow-area airport after authorities accused her of transporting drugs. It’s unclear when the arrest took place, though reports have said officials found marijuana vape cartridges on her.
Griner plays for both Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, the latter of which said Saturday that it was “aware of and closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia. We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA, and the NBA.”
“There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point,” Blinken said Sunday. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we, of course, stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.”
Although the country is urging Americans to flee Russia, Blinken said it’s not closing its Moscow embassy.
“In times like these, it’s important that we maintain our diplomatic contacts, that we maintain the diplomatic support, particularly support that we can provide to Americans who may need it,” he said.
One of the WNBA’s premier players, Griner won the 2014 WNBA championship with Phoenix as well as a gold medal at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
