[ad_1]
Aces coach Becky Hammon, a former Russian Olympian, has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to release WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Hammon implored Putin to ‘do the right thing’ after Griner was arrested in February and charged last week with drug trafficking with criminal intent. Hammon was initially arrested at Moscow airport when officials said they found hash oil in her luggage.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and fined 1 million rubles, which amounts to $16,500.
“It’s something that’s obviously very close to home for me and so I’m just asking the Russian government to do the right thing,” Hamon told Reuters on Tuesday.
Scroll to continue
Hammon was a six-time WNBA All-Star, playing professionally in both the WNBA and Russia and won a bronze medal representing Russia at the 2008 Olympics. He joined the Spurs as an assistant in 2014 and was hired as the head coach of the WNBA Aces in 2022.
“It’s never too late to do the right thing. We ask for mercy. We ask for a favor. And we’re asking to bring home BG,” Hammon added.
The US government could ultimately play a major role in how much of the nine-year sentence Griner serves in Russia. The US is actively trying to negotiate a prisoner swap where convicted arms dealer Victor Bout would be sent to Russia, while the Americans would receive Griner and American Paul Whelan.
More Brittany Griner coverage:
[ad_2]
Source link
