Yet, in our country, Black people are almost three times as likely to be arrested for drug possession, particularly marijuana, than white people. Perhaps they thought that the racism embedded in our continued “war on drugs” would justify their detention of a Black woman. Perhaps the Russian government thought we would just believe the worst about a Black woman and that she is rightfully being incarcerated. It doesn’t seem coincidental that Russia is allegedly charging an American Black queer woman with marijuana possession. While many All-Star WNBA players are on the UMMC team, Griner is one of only two Black players and the only Black American. Griner is not only a superstar in America, but in Russia as well. In Russia, simply speaking about same-sex relationships as socially acceptable means breaking the law. Brittney Griner is an openly queer Black woman. Kimberlé Crenshaw, is defined as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.” Queer women of color are more likely to be wrongly arrested, and bias against them justifies mistreatment. Intersectionality can’t be ignored in this case. Why We Need to Care About Critical Race Theory We should all be alarmed that Griner is being detained in a country whose leader has called gender fluidity “a crime against humanity.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it a point to prioritize a “ gay propaganda” agenda during his presidency that has equated homosexuality with pedophilia and has jailed queer activists. But its ongoing attitude of anti-LGBTQIA sentiment isn’t to be taken lightly either. Much has been said on social media about Russia’s problematic history of racism and downright hatred toward America. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Griner’s loved ones can expect to see her released on that date. A Russian court ruled in March that Griner’s jail time would be extended until at least May 19. It was already too late for Brittney Griner, who is believed to have entered Russian one week earlier. Truth is, if Griner were LeBron James or Stephen Curry, she probably wouldn’t have been in Russia in the first place, as most NBA players make more than 200 times the maximum WNBA salary.Īfter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the EuroLeague suspended all Russian teams and WNBA officials began calling players out of the country. She last played for UMMC on January 29, before the league took a two-week break in February for the FIBA World Cup. Since 2014, during the off-season, Griner has played for EuroLeague team UMMC Ekaterinburg, earning over $1 million per season - more than quadruple her WNBA salary. She then became the first overall draft pick in the WNBA that year, and soon after, the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike.
Off the court, she’s also been a force, coming out as gay at age 22, just as she was entering into professional basketball. Just under 7 feet tall, you couldn’t ignore Griner if you tried. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time All-Star, and she has won a national championship at Baylor as well as a WNBA championship with the Mercury. Griner, 31, is arguably the greatest female basketball player of all time. What’s also disturbing is the lack of media attention toward the situation. Given the current tension between Russia and the United States over Ukraine, it’s hard to believe anything Russia has claimed regarding Americans. I was disturbed by the news that Russia had detained Griner. This uncertainty has garnered an outpouring of support from fans however, the lack of response from anywhere else exposes longstanding gender inequities in professional sports. It’s now May and still little is known about her circumstances. In America, we didn’t hear about the arrest until weeks later. Griner is believed to have been arrested in February by Russian authorities on drug smuggling charges - vape cartridges containing cannabis oil - which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. In the security footage, she’s wearing a black hoodie with “Black Lives for Peace” written on the back, with her signature locs hanging past her shoulders. The star center for the Phoenix Mercury landed at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow ready to play another season with a Russian league as she’s done for the last seven years. In the last public sightings of Brittney Griner, the WNBA player is seen walking through airport security with a small, black suitcase.