Russian customs officials had detained WNBA star Brittney Griner for about six months on drug charges. The authorities at a Moscow airport found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage and arrested her in mid-February.

After a show trial, the court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison—likely a forced labor camp. She also has to pay 1 million rubles or $16,700 in fine. The verdict came amid soaring tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine.

Nina Dobrev reacts to Griner’s sentencing

American snowboarding icon Shaun White has been dating popular actor Nina Dobrev since 2020. Upon hearing of Brittney Griner’s sentencing, the Vampire Diaries star took to Instagram to express her disbelief. 

She shared a post by Vogue detailing the verdict and wrote, “Wait… WHAT THE ACTUAL F***?!?!!!” The 31-year-old basketball player pleaded guilty to the charges of drug possession and smuggling in July. “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor,” she said at the time. “But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”

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During the trial, the two-time All-American legal team shared medical records, showing a previous doctor’s note that recommended Griner could use cannabis for medical purposes. The United States initiated negotiations with Russia about a prisoner exchange.

“Didn’t Want to Be Alive”: WNBA Star Brittney Griner, Who Is Detained in Russia, Struggled With Same Feeling as Michael Phelps During a Rough Patch of Life

The speculations remain that the WNBA star’s sentencing had political motivations. Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas stated the sentence “was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn.”

Things are looking rough for Brittney Griner 

Last month, Brittney Griner wrote a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, expressing her fears and pleading for action. It said, “(As) I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.”

The WNBA star plays for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg in the off-season. Subsequently, her Russian teammates that have been with her since 2014, also testified in her defense at the trial.

As for the cartridges found in her bag, Griner explained it could have been a possible packing oversight. “I still don’t understand to this day how they ended up in my bag,” she told the court on July 27. “If I had to guess on how they ended up in my bags, I was in a rush packing.”

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After her sentencing, President Joe Biden released a statement condemning the verdict as “unacceptable” and calling for Griner’s immediate release. “My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible,” it said.