

It’s been two days since WNBA star Brittney Griner was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia. After being held in custody for over 170 days, Griner was sentenced by a Russian court for smuggling. This shocked her family, teammates, and fans all across the world. And with a heavy heart, her teammates showed up to play their game and addressed how they felt about the situation.
Griner’s teammates have been very vocal since her arrest and have been constantly supporting her. Even players from other teams have publicly called for her release. Players honored her by wearing her name during the WNBA All-Star game.
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But still, the players have been professional in their work and turned up to play despite everything going on. And they expressed how they felt about the entire situation.
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Teammates of Brittney Griner are heartbroken after hearing the verdict
Griner has played her entire career at the Phoenix Mercury and is a fan favorite. So it was a shock for them to learn about Griner’s verdict. Her teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith addressed how they felt after hearing the conviction news.
She said, “It’s heavy, it’s just heavy y’all. Y’all asking these questions don’t take away from our trauma. You just add to our trauma. We can break down and cry in front of y’all, so you can see how we feel. Like what else to do, I don’t know what else to say about it. It’s our sister.”
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via Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 30: Brittney Griner #42 and Brianna Turner #21 of the Phoenix Mercury talk on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 30, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mercury defeated the Aces 117-91.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Diggins-Smith continued, “This is not some random Jane off the street. It’s not anything we’re politicizing. It’s a human being, and this is our real-life friend and real-life sister. “
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“I don’t expect everybody to give a damn, but we really do. If we come out here, we’re still supposed to play this f—ing game. Nobody even wanted to play today.”?she concluded.
She explained that it’s still hard to approach the game with a clear mind, but the only reason her squad turned up to play was to honor her spirit. And to keep the momentum going for the team.
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