Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant couldn't help but be worried about WNBA star Brittney Griner amid her detention in Russia that has been going on for three months now.
Griner was arrested back in February after Russian custom officials reportedly found vape cartridges in her luggage. These cartridges allegedly contained hashish oil, derived from cannabis, which warrants 10 years of prison time in Russia.
Recently, Griner was seen with handcuffs and hanging her head while slouching to cover her face as she exited from a court hearing. The photo has since gone viral, and the Grizzlies star retweeted it with a prayer emoji to show his support to the embattled hooper:
It remains unknown when Brittney Griner will be released, but it is worth noting that her detention in Russia before coming to trial has been extended by one month.
More recently, there have been rumors about Russia's demand to free Griner. Basically, Moscow allegedly wants a prison swap in which they release the WNBA player in exchange for convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.
Bout has earned the nickname “Merchant of Death” for his role in fueling the Africa and Middle East conflicts by supplying weapons. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for “conspiracy to kill US citizens, delivery of anti-aircraft missiles, and providing aid to a terrorist organization.”
Hopefully, the issue will be resolved and Griner gets released sooner rather than later.