It seems like the Brittney Griner situation isn’t deterring some American professional basketball players from playing basketball in Russia.
Last month, Griner was sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug smuggling after she was busted carrying two vape pens filled with hashish oil at Moscow airport.
Accoridng to the USA Today, at least 32 Americans have signed up to play in Russia’s top basketball league this season despite Brittney Griner’s imprisonment.
Most of the US basketball players playing in Russia are men with one notable exception, Unique Thompson, who is a fringe WNBA player currently on a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings.
Thompson’s agent says her client “supports Brittney” but felt playing in Russia gives her the best chance to “get back into the WNBA while also being able to earn a living.
Former NBA player James Ennis is the biggest name on the list of players planning to play in Russia.
You can’t blame Thompson and Ennis for trying to better her career in one of the few places that value her work. Hopefully, they can stay out of trouble while she’s in Russia.
