Getting Griner home the ‘number one priority’ for NBA, WNBA, says Silver

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Basketball – Women – Gold medal match – United States v Japan – Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan – August 8, 2021. Brittney Griner of the United States in motion with Himawari Akaho of Japan REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Image

NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters) – Countrywide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver reported obtaining WNBA participant Brittney Griner home was the “quantity just one priority,” immediately after a Russian court prolonged her pre-trial detention previous 7 days.

The 31-year-outdated 2 times Olympic winner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport in February, allegedly in possession of hashish-infused vaporizer cartridges.

The U.S. State Division has said that the seven-times WNBA All-Star was wrongfully detained, amid dire diplomatic relations involving Washington and Moscow subsequent the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, is on this difficulty just about every solitary working day, I am working side by side with her,” Silver said in a televised interview on Tuesday. “We’ve been in touch with the White Dwelling, the State Department, hostage negotiators, at every single amount of government and also by way of the private sector as perfectly.

“So our quantity one precedence is her health and protection and creating sure that she will get out of Russia.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported he had spoken to Griner’s spouse and that Griner’s launch is a prime precedence for U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration. read through extra

“There is certainly monumental part for the general public to play via protests or letting their associates know how strongly they really feel about this,” explained Silver.

Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York
Modifying by Robert Birsel

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