WNBA player Brittney Griner went to Russia to earn extra money. For the two-time Olympian, however, it has turned into a prolonged nightmare.
Since arriving at a Moscow airport in mid-February, she has been detained by police after they reported finding vape cartridges allegedly containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Still in jail, she is awaiting trial next month on charges that could bring up to 10 years in prison.
“Playing there was not easy because the lifestyle and the way of living is a lot different than what you experience in other places in Europe and America,” said DeLisha Milton-Jones, one of the first marquee American players to play in Russia in the early 2000s. [Most read in Sports] DeMar DeRozan vows to bounce back from poor showing in Chicago Bulls’ Game 1 playoff loss: ‘No way in hell I shoot 6 for 25 again’Players say the Russian teams try to make them as comfortable as possible, including sometimes providing drivers and translators. The clubs also give players extra days off during breaks, knowing they have longer travel back to the U.S., if they go home.
“We chartered. Did everything five-star,” Milton-Jones said at USA Basketball training camp earlier this month. “He would just spoil us. He’d send us to France for a weekend and give us thousands of dollars to go shopping on a private plane. No matter the club, you didn’t know where the money was coming from and you didn’t care. You were there to do a job.”
[Most read in Sports] Will the Chicago Bears try to move into the 1st round? Brad Biggs’ NFL mock draft 2.0.“Back in the day, you had to go to the cigarette shop and buy the scratch-off cards and you’d type that number in the phone and it says you have 25 minutes to talk,” she said. “We didn’t have the popular apps nowadays on your phone. It was a struggle”
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