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.
Top WNBA players are finding other places to compete this winter, not wanting to go back to Russia after the arrest and conviction of Brittney Griner on drug possession charges and the country's invasion of Ukraine. https://t.co/rjknzWsQG2
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 20, 2022
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.
Cherelle Griner told me she had a good meeting with Biden. He gave her more confidence in the admin’s efforts to bring Brittney Griner home. “It allowed me to have confidence in what he’s doing right now."
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) September 17, 2022
Cherelle’s sense after meeting with Biden was that negotiations have been very complex but that Biden is determined to get a deal done:
"I don’t think they have quite figured out exactly what Russia wants in return for BG.”
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) September 17, 2022
Cherelle has been exchanging letters from BG during her imprisonment in Russia. But recently those letters have taken a dark turn. “She’s not well,” Cherelle told me. "She’s losing it.”
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) September 17, 2022