FILE PHOTO: Brittney Griner of the United States gestures during a game against Australia at Saitama Super Arena in their Tokyo 2020 Olympic women’s basketball quarterfinal game in Saitama, Japan August 4, 2021. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
March 23, 2022
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted consular access to her on Wednesdasy, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Griner, an Olympic gold medalist and All-Star player, has been detained in a Russian prison during a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The State Department has been pushing Russian authorities for access to the sports star.
“Within the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner,” Price said in an interview with CNN.
“Our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.”
The WNBA said last week it was working with the U.S. government to get Griner freed after the TASS news agency said her detention for possession of vape cartridges containing hash oil was extended until May 19.
It was not clear exactly when Griner was detained, but it was announced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Griner won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national teams in 2016 and 2021 and is a seven-time All-Star. She plays center for the Phoenix Mercury.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Susan Heavey and Jonathan Oatis)
