Mercury Star Brittney Griner Appears In Russian Courtroom

KHIMKI, RUSSIA—Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, detained in Russia on drug charges, appeared in a courtroom just outside of Moscow on Friday, where she learned that her pre-trial detention had been extended for one month, the Associated Press reported.

The 31-year-old Griner, who also plays for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg, was arrested on Feb. 17 at a Moscow airport after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to the AP.

Friday was Griner's first public appearance since that arrest, multiple news outlets reported. The 6-foot-9 Griner appeared for the brief hearing handcuffed and in a red hoodie, with her long hair obscuring her face.

Griner's lawyer Alexander Boykov told the AP that he believed the relatively short extension of the detention indicated the case would come to trial soon.

"We did not receive any complaints about the detention conditions from our client," Boykov said.

Earlier this month, the U.S Department of State determined that Griner was "wrongfully detained" by Russia. It was a change in classification that suggested the U.S. government would be more active in trying to secure her release even while the legal case plays out, according to the AP.

The AP reported that Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who helped secure the release of multiple hostages and detainees, currently is working on the case.

Richardson played a role in the April prisoner exchange in which former Marine Trevor Reed was exchanged for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year U.S. federal prison sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S.

The AP suggested Russia may consider Griner somebody who could figure into another exchange.

In addition to the "wrongfully detained" status transferring Griner's case to the U.S. special envoys office, it also allowed for WNBA players and supporters to speak out about her detainment, according to Sports Illustrated.

Prior to that, Griner's legal team had listened to the State Department's advice to remain low-key and not do anything to threaten her release.

Since then, there has been an outpouring of support from the WNBA and its players.

On May 3, the WNBA said it would honor Griner and keep her plight in the forefront of people's thoughts, and that all 12 teams would display her initials and jersey number 42 on their court.

In Phoenix, in addition to the Griner tribute on the Mercury's court, the NBA's Suns also unveiled a new Griner tribute on their court earlier this week.

The WNBA issued a statement after Griner's court appearance and pre-trial extension on Friday.

"Today's news on Brittney Griner was not unexpected, and the WNBA continues to work with the U.S. government to get BG home safely and as soon as possible," the league said in its statement.

Griner, the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 WNBA draft, finished second in the voting for the 2021 WNBA Most Valuable Player Award.