A court in Russia extended Brittney Griner’s detention until May 19, according to the Russian state news agency Tass via ESPN.
The 31-year-old American basketball star was initially detained after Russian customs officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow on February 16.
Griner has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star. The WNBA season opens May 6.
Griner has played in Russia for the last seven years during the winter. She last played for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on Jan. 29 before the league took a two-week break for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments. In five games this season, she has averaged 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
She was arrested upon his return to Moscow last month. The WNBA star is reportedly facing up to 10 years in prison. The court approved prosecutors’ request to extend her pre-trial detention to continue investigating her case.
It’s unclear how much progress was being made in the case because Griner’s group has been trying to work quietly, according to Associated Press, via ESPN.
CNN reported that Griner’s s legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention in Russia.
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