“We’re on day 116 since BG has been wrongfully detained,” head coach Vanessa Nygaard mentioned. “It was nice to listen to from the State Division that we should always proceed to amplify that message and that we should always proceed to press all those that have any affect or energy to assist carry BG house. She’s our teammate, she’s an American and we wish her again house.”
SPEHA officers have been amongst those that met with the workforce Monday. The State Division mentioned it had nothing additional to share relating to the briefing.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who performs in Russia through the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport and accused by Russian authorities of smuggling vital quantities of a narcotic substance, an offense punishable by as much as 10 years in jail.
“You are welcome to come back into our locker room and speak to us. You are additionally welcome to simply benefit from the recreation, you may see what our workforce appears to be like like with out Brittney Griner, but in addition we’d simply like to see you as a supporter of our workforce.
“And um, yeah, we’ve snacks in our locker room, we obtained all kinds of stuff that we’d like to — truthfully, you may sit on the bench, you may sit on the bench proper subsequent to me.”
Star guard Diana Taurasi mentioned Monday that the State Division’s announcement that Griner’s detention was wrongful was a sign to the workforce.
“It is one thing that we have all talked about intimately as a gaggle and now figuring out the State Division on the highest stage, from U.S President Joe Biden to the workforce that’s engaged on bringing again all Individuals who’re wrongfully detained, provides us lots of confidence that they are engaged on it,” Taurasi mentioned. “Something that we are able to do on our facet to amplify and to place BG first might be our primary precedence.”
Griner’s spouse, Cherelle, gave her first interview final month for the reason that arrest on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and mentioned she speaks to Brittney “sporadically” via letters and he or she “completely” needs to talk to Biden about her detention.
In the meantime, Penny Taylor, a former teammate of Griner’s on the Mercury and a three-time WNBA All-Star, used her Corridor of Fame induction speech on Saturday to name for Griner’s launch.
Taylor had 4 separate stints taking part in for the Mercury all through her 19-year profession, profitable three WNBA championships with the franchise earlier than retiring in 2016.
“BG is our household,” Taylor mentioned on the ceremony whereas asking for Biden’s assist releasing Griner.
“She’s yours too,” she added. “The whole world sport group wants to come back collectively to insist that she be a precedence.”
CNN’s Kylie Atwood, Steve Almasy and Jill Martin contributed to this report.
