Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Brittney Griner's Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard believes that if her star player was named LeBron James, her detention in Russia would have ended already.

The detained WNBA star Brittney Griner made a direct appeal to US president Joe Biden for her freedom in a handwritten letter that was delivered to the White House on Monday morning, according to her representatives.

More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession (February 17), a Russian court has set the start date of the criminal trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner for July 1, via The Associated Press.

A court in Russia has extended the pre-trial detention for WNBA star Brittney Griner. She will remain in custody at least through July 2, according to the Russian state media outlet TASS.

A number of Boston Celtics players wore "We Are BG" T-shirts to practice on Saturday, in protest of WNBA star Brittney Griner's ongoing detention in Russia.

Russia is looking to exchange Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap for notorious convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, several state-owned Russian news outlets reported.

Popularly known as "the Merchant of Death", Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the US, where he was convicted of intending to smuggle weapons to rebels in Colombia to be used against US citizens.

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in New York (April 2012).

Yesterday it was reported that the American basketball star Brittney Griner's pre-trial detention in Russia has been extended for one month.

The 31-year-old Griner has been in custody since February after Moscow airport officials allegedly found cannabis oil in her luggage.

Her detention came as US and Women's National Basketball Association officials urged Americans to leave Russia amid rising tensions over Ukraine, which Russia invaded on 24 February.

US executives said she was wrongfully imprisoned and should be released.

WNBA player Brittney Griner, who has been in jail in Russia for almost three months now, will remain under detention for at least one more month. 

Alexander Boykov, Griner's lawyer, told the Associated Press that the basketball player's detention has been extended for an additional month. 

Griner was arrested and detained back in February at Moscow's airport after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage. For this reason, Griner can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. 

The lawyer of the player announced that the relatively short extension of the detention might mean that Griner will go to trial soon. 

The US administration is ramping up its efforts to secure her release. The WNBA is also working with the US government to try to find a solution for the two-time Olympic gold medalist. 

The WNBA will commemorate Brittney Griner with floor decals on every team’s home court, according to ESPN.

The decal will feature Griner’s initials “BG” as well as her No. 42. All 12 teams will have the decal on their home courts starting with Friday night's season opener. The Mercury open their season at home that night against the Las Vegas Aces.

The Phoenix Mercury center has been detained in Russia since February after customs officials said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport.

The U.S. government now considers WNBA star Brittney Griner to be wrongfully detained by the Russian government, signaling a significant shift in how officials will try to get her home, sources familiar with her case told ESPN.

The officials and other sources close to Griner's case declined to say what led to the shift or whether there have been any discussions about what it would take to secure her release.

It is known that the U.S. government will no longer wait for Griner's case to play out through the Russian legal system and will seek to negotiate her return.

A State Department official sent ESPN a statement, saying, "The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner's release."

“As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”

Griner was the MVP runner-up in 2021, helping the Mercury reach the WNBA Finals before falling to the Chicago Sky. She finished the season averaging 20.5 points (second in the WNBA), 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks (first in the WNBA) per game. She also scored 30 points for Team USA in the gold medal game against Japan at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

Brittney Griner's detention in Russia has been extended until May 19, according to Russia's state news agency.

Ever since it was reported that WNBA superstar Griner was detained in Russia for drug trafficking charges, uncertainty was looming over the subject.

"In February 2022, when a US citizen, who arrived on a flight from New York, was passing through the green corridor at Sheremetyevo Airport, a service dog from the canine department of Sheremetyevo Customs indicated the possible presence of drugs in the escorted luggage," Russia's Federal Customs Service reported three weeks ago.

Since the news came out, CCTV video footage was released from the day the detainment occurred. In the security footage, she wears running shoes, black sweatpants, and a black hoodie with "Black Lives for Peace" written on the back. At 2.06 meters tall, she towers above the customs agents and other travelers.

In another shot, she is seen sitting in front of a man, most likely a customs agent, shaking her head "no".

Concerning news has come from the Russian Republic. The Federal Customs Service reports that a female professional basketball player was detained at the Sheremetyevo airport with a consignment of drugs.

The player in trouble is WNBA superstar Brittney Griner who plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg. The two-time Olympic champion and one of the brightest stars in women's basketball did not feature in any of UMMC's February matches having consistently played for the team in previous months.

Griner averages 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists for UMMC this season. If convicted, the player would face imprisonment of up to 10 years.

Following the detainment, a criminal case was launched and the player was arrested.

"In February 2022, when a US citizen, who arrived on a flight from New York, was passing through the green corridor at Sheremetyevo Airport, a service dog from the canine department of Sheremetyevo Customs indicated the possible presence of drugs in the escorted luggage," the FCS reports.

When examining the luggage of a US citizen using fluoroscopic equipment, an employee of the drug smuggling department of the Sheremetyevo customs drew attention to a vape kit in the luggage.

"The customs inspection of hand luggage carried by a US citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with a liquid with a specific smell, and an expert found that the liquid is a narcotic cannabis oil (hash oil)," the service said.

"The detainee is a professional basketball player, a member of the US National Basketball Association, a two-time Olympic basketball champion in the US team," the service noted.