MOSCOW (CelebrityAccess) — WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner is facing drug charges in Russia after she was arrested at an airport in Moscow for allegedly possessing cannabis oil.
According to the Associated Press, Griner faces up to ten years in prison for possession of the alleged oil, which the Russian Customs Service identified as being contained in vaporizer cartridges.
“We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA,” Griner’s agent, Kagawa Colas told the Associated Press. “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”
Griner, who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, has moonlighted with Russian teams during the offseason, earning a reported $1 million a year, more than 4 times what she earns with the WNBA.
The 31-year-old Griner played her final game for her Russian team Russian UMMC Ekaterinburg on Jan. 29, shortly before the league took a two week break for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments.
She is just one of more than a dozen WNBA stars who are playing in Russia and the Ukraine this year, including Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley of the champion Chicago Sky, the AP reported.
