U.S. State Department officials have been granted access to meet with WNBA star Brittney Griner, spokesperson Ned Price told CNN on Wednesday.
Last week, the U.S. State Department insisted that the Russian government provide consular access to detained U.S. citizens, including Griner. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and Mercury star was detained in mid-February after Russian authorities claimed they discovered vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow. She could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if found guilty of transporting drugs, according to ESPN.
While Price was not able to give a significant update on Griner’s status, he says that the official that met with her said she was in “good condition.”
“Within the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner,” Price said. “We were able to check on her condition. We will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network to see to it that she’s treated fairly. That is a message that we will continue to convey in no uncertain terms to the Russian federation.
“There’s only so much I can say, but what I can say is that our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition, and we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.”
Griner’s arrest came a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but news came out after the war began as tensions continue to escalate between Russia and the U.S.
During the WNBA offseason, Griner plays for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg. She was leaving the country when she was detained in February. The country recently extended her detention until May 19.
