WNBA Commissioner Discusses League’s Efforts to Free Brittney Griner

The Mercury star was convicted and sentenced to a nine-year prison sentence in Russia back in August.

Ahead of the WNBA Finals beginning on Sunday afternoon, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert opened her press conference to give an update on the league’s commitment to bring Brittney Griner home.

The Mercury star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July and could face a penalty of up to 10 years in prison as a result. 

Griner was convicted on drug charges and given a nine-year prison sentence back in August. Since then, her legal team filed an appeal of her sentencing, although there hasn’t been any recent developments regarding the appeal.

Engelbert’s comments on Sunday remained similar to the statement she released with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after Griner’s conviction and sentence.

The WNBA commissioner said that the league’s commitment “has not wavered” in terms of attempting to bring Griner home.

“So as we prepare to start this great series, it’s important to reiterate that we are always thinking of Brittney Griner and our commitment to bring her home safely and as quickly as possible,” Engelbert said. “That has not wavered. We continue to work with the State Department and the U.S. government and administration and others on this very complex situation. I recently received a handwritten letter from BG and I am so inspired by her courage in the face of enormous adversity. We are fully focused on getting her home safely and she remains such an important part of the WNBA family.”

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert opens her pre-Finals press conference by acknowledging that the league’s commitment to bringing Brittney Griner home from Russia “has not wavered.”

Engelbert also says she recently received a handwritten letter from Griner.

— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) September 11, 2022

In the letter, Engelbert revealed that Griner sent her a “heartfelt” handwritten letter recently. The commissioner said she sent Griner emails throughout the season.

“She wrote a letter back to me. I was thrilled. It was heartfelt,” Engelbert said. “She was very grateful. She knows the efforts that I personally and the League are doing to try to help get her home safely and as soon as possible and she ended with it, ‘I’m staying strong.’ I have chills right now just saying that, she ended it with, ‘You should know I’m saying strong, and thank you.’ It was short and handwritten and really inspiring to me given how adverse her situation is. But we need the Russians to step up here and get the deal that the President put on the table and get that deal done and get her home safely.”