The WNBA is feeling the effects of Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia as the new season begins.
Every club hopes to win the title at the start of the season, but in this year’s WNBA, that ambition may seem insignificant because one of the league’s top players, Brittney Griner, is imprisoned in Russia.
The WNBA players are trying to stay focused on the game while also concerned about Griner’s condition and any news of her release after she was imprisoned on suspicion of bringing cannabis into Russia.
Griner’s teammate at UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, Courtney Vandersloot, a guard for the Chicago Sky, learned of her detention during a team meeting before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
At the Sky’s media day this week, Vandersloot said, “We had a team meeting with our GM, and he told us that she had been picked up at the airport.” “I can’t put into words that moment learning that. What we were thinking about Brittney and how scared we were for her. We hope she is in good mental and physical health. I’m hoping she’s being looked after. Because we share an agent, I’ve been able to stay somewhat informed. She has the right team on her side. They’re doing everything they can to get her back to where she belongs.”
If a Russian court convicts Griner, a two-time Olympic champion, she faces ten years in prison. However, there was some good news this week when the Biden administration concluded that Griner was “wrongfully held.” Griner’s case has now been transferred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which will negotiate her release. The decision by the White House comes just one week after the highly publicized release of Trevor Reed, a US citizen who had been held in Russia since 2019.
“its fantastic news that the US administration has classed her Russian detention,” says Alexis Mrachek, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation who focuses on Russia and Eurasia. “Now that she has been legally declared ‘wrongfully held,’ the executive branch will fight even harder behind the scenes to bring her home.” However, it is possible that the Russian government would respond more forcefully to the US demand for her release. We’ve seen how harsh Moscow was with Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed in recent years, both of whom were wrongly detained, so we can expect the same with Brittney Griner.”
Allie Quigley, a Chicago Sky guard and Griner’s Russian colleague, expressed her displeasure with US officials reclassifying Griner as “wrongfully held.”
At the Sky’s media day, Quigley commented, “I saw [the news] this morning.” “I was overjoyed to learn that we would not have to wait for our trial date. Hopefully, they can come up with a solution, a swap, or do what they have to do, whatever it takes.
On the court, Griner’s Phoenix Mercury colleagues are ready to begin the season without their courageous center, which begins on Friday night. Griner led the squad with 20.5 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game in 2021. The Mercury were defeated by the Sky in the WNBA championships last season after a tremendous playoff run.
Vanessa Nygaard, the Mercury’s new head coach, must maintain her team competitive while also paying great attention to her players’ emotions during a difficult moment.
“Every day, we are all anxious,” Nygaard remarked last month. “We’re thinking about it.” We receive periodic updates and are kept as informed as possible. This season, it’s a part of who we are. We’re just staying put.
The Mercury and the WNBA will try to raise awareness about Griner’s situation once the season begins on the court. The league announced this week that a floor decal with Griner’s initials and jersey number will be placed in each team’s home arena (42).
Beyond the league’s initial support for Griner, some are hoping that her case will mark a turning point for the WNBA, with players no longer needing to travel abroad to supplement their wages. The WNBA announced a new collective bargaining agreement in 2020, which included raises in player salary, travel accommodations, and maternity leave. Despite these improvements, the WNBA still trails the EuroLeague Women in many respects. Griner’s WNBA base wage is $227,900, compared to $1 million per year in Russia. The WNBA may begin to undercut players who choose to join teams outside of the United States.
“The WNBA has a provision in the CBA called the ‘prioritization clause,’ which begins in 2023,” explains Tamryn Spruill, author of Court Queens, a forthcoming book about the WNBA. “Teams can use this clause to penalize players who arrive late to training camps and preseason games after playing overseas.” Players like Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart have missed time with their WNBA teams due to their participation with EuroLeague clubs. Players who miss practice may be suspended.” Griner’s struggle – and the concerns it has raised about how and where players make a living – will almost certainly push the WNBA to examine CBA changes that are necessary for the league’s future.
For the time being, the WNBA’s players, coaches, and staff will strive to continue engaging fans with high-level basketball – ratings for last season’s finals were up 51% from the previous year. They’ll do all of this while praying for the best for Griner and her eventual return to the United States.
During the Mercury’s media day, Tina Charles remarked, “As WNBA players, we’ve always placed our voice first on what we want to advocate for and what we care about.” “We’ve always been able to do it.”
