U.S. government reclassifies WNBA star Brittney Griner’s status

As WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner continues to be held in Russia, the United States government as reclassified her status as “wrongfully detained” by Russia, according to ESPN reports.

The change means the U.S. will no longer wait for Griner’s case to be worked through the Russian legal system and will seek her immediate release.

A statement released by the State Department said, “The Department of State has determined the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner’s release.”

Griner was arrested in February in Moscow for illegally bringing vape cartridges with hashish oil into the country. She has not been formally charged with any crime, and is scheduled for a hearing on May 19. With Griner now being classified as a “wrongful detainee” this means the U.S. considers any legal proceedings in Russia to be irrelevant to her case.

Back in the U.S., Griner’s WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury open their season Friday at home against the Las Vegas Aces. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said all 12 WNBA teams will have a floor decal featuring Griner’s initials along with her jersey number 42.

“We are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” Engelbert said in a statement. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”

In April the U.S. government secured the release of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who had been held in Russia since 2019. He was swapped for a Russian citizen who had been convicted of drug smuggling.