Brittney Griner will serve a full nine-year term in a Russian penal colony. Her appeal for a February drug conviction was denied.
CNBC reported Tuesday that Griner has eight years left to serve of her nine-year term.
In late February, just before Russia invaded Ukraine, Griner, a center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury since 2013, was stopped in a Russian airport by security when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. NPR reported that Griner had an American doctor’s recommendation for the medication.
On August 4, Griner pled guilty to the drug charges and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.
Griner played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg in Yekaterinburg, the third largest city in Russia, during her off season.
Whether her lawyers will appeal the denial is unclear, according to CNBC.
“We think we should use all legal tools available but that is her decision to take,” Maria Blagovolina, Griner’s lawyer, told reporters outside of the court. Blagovolina said her client, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was disappointed to hear the decision from the three-judge panel.
“She had some hope but that vanished today,” Blagovolina said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
