FILE PHOTO: U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, sits inside a defendants' cage before the court's verdict in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool
Monday marked 200 days since WNBA star Brittney Griner was first detained in a Russian airport.
The Phoenix Mercury center was arrested Feb. 17 with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
Griner, 31, was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony on Aug. 4 on drug smuggling and possession charges.
On Monday -- Labor Day in the United States -- the Women's National Basketball Players Association issued a plea on social media for all U.S. union members to sign a Change.org petition in support of Griner.
United States President Joe Biden has said Griner is being "wrongfully detained."
Diplomats for Russia and the U.S. have reportedly discussed a prisoner swap to bring Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan home in exchange for the release of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, Griner is a seven-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year with career averages of 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 254 games.
--Field Level Media
