Home » WNBA Stars To Boycott Russian Basketball League Amid Brittney Griner Situation, Will Play Elsewhere

WNBA Stars To Boycott Russian Basketball League Amid Brittney Griner Situation, Will Play Elsewhere

WNBA’s biggest stars will not be playing in the Russian basketball league this year while Brittney Griner remains detained.

Russia has been a popular offseason destination for WNBA players due to salaries that pay more than the American League, but several stars, including Breanna Stewart, have already stated they’re going to be playing elsewhere this year.

Steward spoke to the Associated Press about her decision not to return to Russia during the WNBA offseason,

“Honestly my time in Russia has been wonderful, but especially with BG still wrongfully detained there, nobody’s going to go there until she’s home,” said Stewart, who played with Griner in Russia. “I think that, you know, now, people want to go overseas and if the money is not much different, they want to be in a better place.”

Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot, who also played alongside Griner for Russian powerhouse Ekaterinburg, said they will be playing elsewhere this winter.

As for Griner, President Biden recently met with her wife, but there’s still no update on how soon Brittney will be released from Russian prison.