The basketball star is detained in Russia, far from her teammates and loved ones. But there are signs she has held on to her fighting spirit
For five months, Brittney Griner has been all but silenced. Before officials stopped her at Sheremetyevo International Airport on 17 February for allegedly bringing cannabis oil into Russia, the WNBA star’s impact went beyond high-scoring games, Olympic gold medals and fast-break dunks. Outside of sports, Griner has often used her voice to galvanize and help the masses.
When American cities were filled with protests in 2020 after the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Griner used her fame to help bring attention to systemic issues that are often faced by marginalized communities. In 2019, she used her platform to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, which devastated her hometown of Houston, Texas. And she would often partner with the Phoenix Rescue Mission to provide shoes for the homeless in Arizona’s capital, where she is an eight-time WNBA All-Star with the Mercury.
