Brittney Griner Aug 8, 2021; Saitama, Japan; United States centre Brittney Griner (15) reacts to a call against Japan in the women’s basketball gold medal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Saitama Super Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for nearly five months for allegedly carrying vape cartridges that had hashish oil. With a 10-year sentence looming, there have been calls by many to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to work on a way to secure Griner’s safe return to the United States.

Many have felt that the president isn’t doing enough and that included Griner’s wife, Cherelle, who said that U.S. officials “are not doing anything” to free Brittney.

Things seemed to have smoothed over as the White House revealed that the president and vice president spoke with Cherelle on Wednesday “to reassure her that [Biden] is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible.” Biden also read a letter that he is sending to Brittney and offered his support to their family.

Cherelle released her own statement about the meeting and while she said that she will “remain concerned and outspoken,” she was “grateful to [Biden and Harris] for the time they spent with me and for the commitment they expressed to getting BG home.”

It remains to be seen what will happen. I’ve never had a loved one be imprisoned in another country so I don’t know what Cherelle is going through but she’s certainly going to keep up the discussion to bring Brittney home.

[@TJQuinnESPN]

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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