WASHINGTON – State Department officials met Monday with members of the Phoenix Mercury over the detention of Brittney Griner for a few months in Russia and the Biden administration’s efforts to secure her release.
The State Department confirmed the meeting, which was attended by officials from its specialized office defending hostages and unjustly detained Americans.
“There are a lot of things to make her come home safe and sound; they are working tirelessly,” Mercury star Diana Taurasi said after the meeting in a team press release. “We are here to do everything possible to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game and anything else that happens in our lives. We want BG to come home as soon as possible; that’s the number. one on our list “.
The Mercury are in Washington ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Mystics. His meeting with the State Department on Monday lasted an hour and took place at the team hotel.
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The administration has previously said it is working to bring Griner and another Michigan U.S. corporate security executive, Paul Whelan, home to Russia.
“Knowing the State Department at the highest level, from U.S. President Joe Biden to the team working to recover all Americans who are unjustly detained, gives us a lot of confidence that they are working on it,” he said. dir Taurasi.
Griner was arrested on February 17 at a Russian airport after authorities said a search of her bag revealed spray cartridges containing a cannabis derivative. In May, the State Department reclassified Griner as an unjust detainee and transferred oversight of her case to the Presidential Envoy of the State Department for Hostage Affairs, or SPEHA.
“It’s been 116 days since BG was unfairly arrested,” Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said. “It was great to hear from the State Department that we should continue to spread this message and that we should continue to press all those who have any influence or power to help bring BG home. She is our teammate, she is North -American and we want her back home. ”
Following the meeting with the State Department, Mercury players and staff virtually met with Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton of Arizona and Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Griner’s hometown of Houston.
“For the Mercury team, coaches and executives, every day without Brittney is a lifetime,” Stanton said. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to share the work we are doing in Congress to secure Brittney’s release.”
Griner’s teammates and players across the league have been pressuring President Biden on social media to help him at home.
WNBA players have also been able to send emails and letters to Griner through an account set up by their agent. Emails are printed and delivered sporadically in groups to Griner by his lawyer after being reviewed by Russian officials. Once the lawyers return to their office, they will scan Griner’s answers and return them to the United States to send to the players.
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss and The Associated Press contributed to this report.