Mercury's Brittney Griner Has Detention In Russia Extended Again

MOSCOW, RUSSIA —A day after Phoenix Mercury players and staff met with U.S. State Department officials in Washington about teammate Brittney Griner's detention in Russia, media in Russia reported that Griner's detention has been extended again.

On Tuesday, the Russian state-run news agency Tass reported that the 31-year-old Mercury star, who has been held in Russia since February, will remain in custody at least through July 2. This is the third time Griner's detention has been extended, according to the Associated Press.

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.

In May, the U.S. Department of State reclassified Griner as "wrongfully detained."

According to the AP, Griner's detention was extended this week by the Khimki district court of the Moscow region.

Tass reported that Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, said Moscow would not consider including Griner in a detainee swap "until a court investigation into her case is completed."

Ryabkov, according to Tass, was responding to U.S. media reports that the Biden administration had offered to exchange convicted arms trader Viktor Bout for Griner.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, told the AP Tuesday that department officials learned of the extension of Griner's detention only through Tass, which he called "problematic."

"This case is problematic from top to bottom," Price said. "It is precisely why we have characterized Brittney Griner as an unlawful detainee. It's precisely why we are doing everything we can to seek and to affect her prompt release from Russian detention."

Mercury players and officials, in Washington DC for a game against the Mystics, met with State Department officials from a specialized office that advocates for hostages and wrongfully detained Americans, according to Yahoo Sports.

"There is a lot involved in getting her back home and safe, they're working relentlessly," Mercury star Diana Taurasi said in a statement after the meeting.

Taurasi continued: "We're here to do whatever we can to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game and anything else that's going on in our lives. We want BG to come home as soon as possible, it's number one on our list."

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygard told Yahoo sports that the team will keep speaking up to encourage those in power to get Griner back with her family.

"It was great to hear from the State Department that we should continue to amplify that message and that we should continue to press all those who have any influence or power to help bring BG home," Nygaard said. "She's our teammate, she's an American and we want her back home."

Following the State Department meeting, the Mercury players and staff met virtually with Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Phoenix) and Rep. Sheila Jackson (D-Texas), the latter representing Griner's hometown of Houston, according to Yahoo Sports.