Head coach of the Baylor women’s basketball team Nicki Collen discussed her thoughts on Brittney Griner‘s detention during a press conference on Monday. Collen has been a vocal supporter of Griner’s release from Russia on social media, but Monday was her first time discussing it with the press.
After cannabis oil was found in Brittney Griner’s luggage in February at a Moscow airport, she has been detained by Russian authorities for the last seven months. Assuring the judge that she had no wish to breach the law, Brittney agreed to the drug accusation in July. The following month, she was given a 9-year jail sentence. She made a name for herself as one of the best athletes in the nation while playing for the Baylor Bears. After being questioned about Griner, who played for Baylor from 2009 to 2013 before becoming a star in the WNBA, Nicki Collen addressed the situation for about five minutes.
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Brittney Griner’s gruesome predicament
Russian authorities have been holding Brittney Griner since her arrest in February at Sheremetyevo International Airport. The two-time WNBA defensive player of the year and seven-time all-star was caught with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil by Russian Customs. Griner received a nine-year jail sentence in August after being convicted guilty of drug offences in Russia. The legal team representing Griner submitted an appeal against her nine-year sentence on August 15. Despite the likelihood that Griner might have received up to 10 years in prison, they claim that her sentence is still “excessive.” According to the defense lawyers, in similar cases around Russia, other convicted criminals were given a lighter term, and some of them even earned parole.
On August 11, Russian officials revealed that they along with the American government were in talks about a possible prisoner swap, which may have given Brittney Griner the chance to visit her family for the first time since her imprisonment. The Biden administration believes that she is being held in violation of the law because Viktor Bout, a well-known Russian arms dealer who was given a 25-year sentence in 2011, has reportedly been mentioned in connection with a prospective prisoner swap. Griner, 31, is a player with the Phoenix Mercury and has won two Olympic gold medals. She has also participated in UMMC Ekaterinburg’s WNBA offseason matches in Russia since 2014.
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Nicki Collen’s speaks up for Griner
Nicki Collen, the Baylor Bears’ current head coach, criticised Griner’s situation as she stated that Griner’s punishment was extremely lengthy. Regardless of what the general public thinks, Griner’s release should be the top priority, according to Collen, who called the situation a “human rights issue.” She implied: “No one’s saying she didn’t make a mistake. None of us are perfect. But I guess I would wanna know if I did something and was stuck in a foreign country, what it was, what it wasn’t. I think we all know that 10 years is a long time.” Kim Mulkey, Griner’s former coach at Baylor, chose not to comment on the circumstance prior to Collen’s statements.
For her peaceful protest of kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, Brittney Griner has received a lot of criticism. Currently in her second season as the Bears’ head coach, Collen also replied to the critics of Griner’s kneeling. Griner was a key member of Team USA who has won two gold medals in the Olympics. The 2018 WNBA Coach of the Year, Collen, stated she finds it upsetting to hear criticism of Griner and the conditions, and for the upcoming season, she said she is working on finding a way to show respect to Griner.
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