Brittney Griner was released by Russia on December 8. Find out why the American basketball star was arrested.
Who is Brittney Griner?
American basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in February for allegedly carrying illegal cannabis oil. The WNBA star has spent the last 10 months in prison.
This Thursday, December 8, United States officials announced that after weeks of negotiations, American basketball star Brittney Griner, 32, was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The US State Department and Griner’s family, friends and fans have long been pleading with Russia to release her.
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Who is Brittney Griner?
- Brittney Yevette Griner or popularly known as American basketball star Brittney Griner was born on October 18, 1990.
- She is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
- Griner initially played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas.
- Griner is the only NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.
- The player is 206 cm (6 ft 9 in) tall and has an arm span of 222 cm (87.5 in).
Brittney Griner: Timeline
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TIME |
EVENT |
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2009 |
Griner was named the number one high school girls basketball player in the country by Rivals.com. |
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2012 |
Griner was selected to the All-American basketball team. |
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2013 |
Griner was the Phoenix Mercury’s first overall pick |
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2014 |
Griner became an eight-time All-Star and won the WNBA Championship. |
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2016 |
At the Rio Olympics, Griner led the United States women’s national basketball team to victory. |
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2018 |
She won the FIBA Women’s World Cup for the second time with the US team. |
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2020 |
He protested the Star Spangled Banner and said he would not be on the field while the national anthem was played during the first few games. |
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2021 |
She won her second gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan and was named to the United States women’s national team. |
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2022 |
Detained by Russian customs officials and released by Russia on December 8. |
What happened?
- On February 17, 2020, Griner was at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport when Russian customs authorities found cartridges containing cannabis oil in Griner’s luggage.
- The basketball star was arrested at the airport on suspicion of felony narcotics smuggling. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
- Griner had entered Russia to play in the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason.
- On December 8, Griner was freed by Russia in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was convicted of plotting to kill Americans and had served 10 years of a 25-year sentence.
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Source: ptivs2.edu.vn