Brittney Griner found guilty, sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has been found guilty of Russian drug offenses and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Phoenix Mercury Star Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia since February after she was discovered to be in possession of cannabis oil, which Griner insists accidentally packed in her luggage before going abroad.

On August 4, Griner was officially found guilty and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Griner apologized for the situation.

“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city (Ekaterinburg) for the mistake I made and the embarrassment I caused them. I also want to apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back home, the amazing women of the WNBA and my amazing spouse back home.” Brittney Griner, via FoxNews

Despite the decision made in Russia, the US State Department considers her “wrongly detained” and has attempted to bring Griner back to the United States.

US considers Phoenix Mercury star ‘wrongly imprisoned’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a “substantive proposal” for the return of Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan. according to Fox News.

“In the coming days, I expect to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov for the first time since the war began. I plan to address an issue that is our highest priority: the release of Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, who have been wrongly imprisoned and allowed to return home.” -Antony Blinken, via Fox News

According to NPRGriner presented a medical card to the court to prove its use was medical, but that did not affect the Russian verdict.