Griner ‘not expecting miracles’ at appeal hearing

Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner said that she’s “not expecting miracles” at her appeal hearing on Tuesday on her nine-year prison sentence for possessing cannabis oil at a Moscow airport.

In a joint statement on Monday, Griner’s attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said that their client is prepared for any outcome from her appeal hearing, noting that Griner has experienced major amounts of stress in the last eight months. 

A Russian court set the date for Griner’s appeal hearing earlier this month as the seven-time WNBA All-Star and her legal counsel try to reduce the number of years in her initial sentence in August after pleading guilty to the charges against her. 

“We see her often. Brittney is very mentally strong and has a champion’s character. However, she of course has her highs and lows as she is under an increasing amount of stress and has been separated from her loved ones for over eight months,” Blagovolina and Boykov said in their joint statement. 

“She is prepared for the appeal and is very nervous. Brittney does not expect any miracles to happen, but hopes that the appeal court will hear the arguments of the defense and reduce the number of years.” 

Blagovolina and Boykov also said that the star athlete will appear at the appeal hearing via video conference. 

Griner, who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury,  has been held in detainment in Russia since February, being arrested by authorities days after Russian began its war against neighboring Ukraine. 

The Biden administration has made Griner’s case, along with another detained American former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan’s case, one of its top priorities, saying that both individuals are wrongfully detained in the country. 

Fellow NBA players such as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving have used their platforms to advocate for Griner’s release from Russia. 

“I appreciate us being able to share this floor together all of us as brothers, but the big picture that’s going on in the world is free our sister Brittney Griner,” Irving told the crowd before his team’s season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans last week. “Please, please POTUS, do your job. Everybody do your job, please bring our sister home.”