Brittney Griner, the W.N.B.A. star who was at the center of a geopolitical dispute between the United States and Russia last year, is set to speak with reporters on Thursday for the first time since her release in December as part of a prisoner exchange.
The 32-year-old Griner is expected to address the media as her team, the Phoenix Mercury, prepares for the start of its season on May 19. Her news conference comes as the United States and Russia are embroiled in a dispute over the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is accused of espionage.
Officials from the Mercury have stated that Griner will not discuss her time in Russia during the news conference. However, she has previously called for the release of Gershkovich and others who have been classified as wrongful detainees by the U.S. government.
Griner was detained in February 2022 after customs officials at an airport near Moscow found a small amount of marijuana concentrate in vape cartridges in her luggage. In May of that year, the U.S. State Department confirmed that she had been…
2023-04-27 11:57:59
Source from www.nytimes.com