When the WNBA All-Star Game tips off July 2, hearts and minds are going to be with Brittney Griner, the honorary starter who isn’t in the building.
But no one’s heart or mind has been more devoted to the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who’s been locked up in Russia since Feb. 17 on drug smuggling charges, than her wife of three years, Cherelle Griner.
“BG is struggling, she’s human,” Cherelle told the Rev. Al Sharpton June 29 on his SiriusXM show Keepin’ It Real. “She’s there terrified, she’s there alone.”
Brittney was taken into custody at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after a search of her carry-on bag allegedly turned up vape cartridges with hashish oil in them. On April 29, the U.S. State Department classified her as “wrongfully detained.”
Numerous stars from the WNBA and NBA, including LeBron James, have spoken up on her behalf, demanding the U.S. government get her home. A new “Free Brittney” campaign has swept social media, with fans toting signs to games to keep her plight front and center for the cameras. A floor decal with her initials and jersey number, 42, has been installed on the sidelines of all 12 WNBA team venues.
