It’s been 100 days since Brittany Greiner, center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, has been locked up in a Russian prison on drug charges. Cherelle Griner’s wife believes President Joe Biden, who is the man to get Brittney out of prison, is the deal-maker.
“There is one person that can go get her, and that’s our president,” Griner told Angela Rye in an ESPN interview this week. Griner said, “He holds that power. It’s a power that he has. You need to use it immediately. “We expect him to make use of his power and get the job done.”
Biden, the miracle worker that he is, sure seems to be taking it easy living up to all of his hype. Maybe he’s waiting for just the right time to hatch a genius prisoner exchange, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Griner played for both the Phoenix Mercury and was also a member of a Russian professional basketball league. As she tried to pass through Moscow, Griner was caught by a Moscow police officer with vaping cartridges inside her suitcase. She was then detained. That was in February, and the man in the White House who has all that untapped power, still hasn’t brought Brittney back to the USA.
Cherelle Griner (seen in photo) thanked the Phoenix Mercury for their support. The WNBA is placing “BG42” logos on all of its basketball courts. Despite President Biden’s amazing power and the symbolic effort by the WNBA, the Russians continue to imprison the 6-9 giantess and Cherelle feels vulnerable.:
“I am in complete vulnerability at the moment. It’s hard to believe people I did not know up until February 17. Her lawyers are my trust. How does she appear? What is her spirit like? What is her energy like? “How is her energy?” I am just asking these questions to try and get an indication of the vibe.
Some days, they will say she’s strong…She seemed to be in good spirits while we spoke. Sometimes they will say that her energy is really low.
Cherelle thinks that Cherelle would release a NBA player who was detained in Russia quickly. The U.S. government would have to act faster in order for that man to be released. She stated that “We live in an era where the larger the platform is, the greater the urgency.”
Perhaps not. A Russian prisoner of Steph Curry could be a bargaining chip for the Russians, as would a WNBA participant.
Mrs. Griner has spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert about her wife’s imprisonment. They have not been able so far to convince President Biden that he will use all his strength and work his magic in order to free her.
While the administration hasn’t made any headway with the Russians yet, three Democrats last week introduced a resolution calling for Griner’s immediate release. The resolution was introduced by three congressmen, Greg Stanton from Arizona (Texas), Colin Allred in Texas (Texas) & Sheila Jackson Lee in Texas. The Russians haven’t been moved by this either.
Bill Richardson (former United Nations Ambassador) is perhaps the man who has the most power. He was responsible for negotiating Trevor Reed’s release from Russia.
“The Russians held them, I believe, as bargaining chips,” Richardson said in Tuesday’s airing of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. “They are looking for something in return. It is usually another American prisoner. I’m convinced the Russians are going to ask for something in return, because Brittney Griner is very high profile.”
According to Tass (the Russian state media), talks have begun. Forbes reported the Biden administration offered to trade Brittney for convicted arms dealer and “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout, who is being held on a 25-year sentence in the U.S. for selling weapons to a Columbian terror group.
This administration may impress Cherelle Griner, but the talks are proceeding at a snail’s pace. Brittney Griner, in fact, is about to begin her second century days in prison.
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