American National Women’s Football League (WNBA) star Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia on drug charges, was stated to be “in good condition”.
The American basketball player wearing the Phoenix Mercury jersey was detained at the Moscow airport last February on the grounds that jute oil was found in his suitcase.
If found guilty, Griner could face up to 10 years in prison.
It is the first time that an official from the US Embassy in Moscow has been allowed to visit the 31-year-old actress.
“We have had the opportunity to check his situation and are working very closely with the legal team to ensure he is treated fairly. Our official has observed Brittney Griner’s well-being and we will do everything we can to ensure she is treated fairly during this difficult time,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told CNN. said.
Russian TASS News Agency announced that the court in Moscow had decided last week that Griner be detained until at least 19 May.
Griner had been playing in Russia since 2015 when the WNBA season took a break.
Brittney Griner had traveled to Russia to play one more season for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Griner was seen walking through security with a small black suitcase in security footage taken at Sheremetyevo Airport outside Moscow.
It was later discovered that Griner had been taken into custody.
Fans reacted to the lack of attention to Griner.
A support campaign was launched for the player, whom some sports commentators consider “the best female basketball player of all time”.
Some experts have argued that the low attention paid to Griner compared to male players is an expression of long-standing gender inequality in professional sports.
Tamryn Spruill, who has written a book about the American National Women’s Basketball League (WNBA) and Griner, said, “If you had an equally talented NBA player instead. [profesyonel erkekler ligi] If he was a player, this news would not only be on the front cover of all sports pages, but also on the front cover of all media pages in the world.”
Melissa Isaacson, professor and sportswriter at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA, said Brittney Griner was “the best of the best”:
“He’s the Tom Brady of all aspects of his sport. It would be fair to argue that he is one of the best athletes in the world.”
Who is Brittney Griner?
Grinder was born in Houston, Texas, USA and earned a basketball scholarship from Baylor University. He led the university team to the championship.
He is currently one of the most important players in the WNBA.
To date, Griner has achieved feats few athletes have, by winning a varsity championship, WNBA and Euroleague titles, and an Olympic gold medal. And he is famous for his unique dunk ability.
Off the court, at the age of 22, he is seen as a pioneer when he publicly announced his gay identity when he started professional sports.
Griner became the first openly gay athlete to audition in the WNBA that same year and was introduced by Nike shortly thereafter.
“Before Grinner, there was censorship in the league, such as ‘don’t call it gay,'” Spruill said.
“Griner has always been a pioneer,” said Diana Taurasi, Griner’s teammate.
WNBA players make about five times more money in Russia than in the US.
Writer Tamryn Spruil said, “If he had a male actor like Steph Curry or LeBron James in his place, he wouldn’t have to be in Russia because he would be making enough money.”
The average salary in the NBA in the US is over 200 times the average WNBA salaries.