Griner gets a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession and smuggling 

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison on Thursday with charges of drug possession and smuggling.

She was detained late in 2021 in a Moscow airport after the authorities found cannabis oil vape cartridges amongst her belongings.

The American Government took action late with her case, they weren't able to get her home in due time and she will get 9-years in prison.

During her trial, Griner offered a speech with the hope there would be leniency on her but it wasn't effective at all.

The maximum sentence she could get was 10 years and it could only get reduced by a single year.
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This is the speech Brittney Griner gave to Russian court on Thursday: "I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. I never meant to break any laws here. I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here.

"I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom," Griner continued. "I want to say again that I had no intent of breaking Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime."

After Judge Anna Sotnikova's conviction against Griner, there is still much to be done by the American Government, who are the only ones that can do anything to bring her back home at this point. There was still hope for her to not be declared guilty but this sentence leaves the ball on the U.S. Government's court.

The U.S. State Department maintains that Griner was wrongfully detained but the Russian Government still decided to slap this hefty sentence on the WNBA star. A prisoner swap that has been discusssed for months is one of the last chances Griner has to return safe to the United States.

In the coming weeks, there will be intense negotiations between both governments in order to bring Griner back to her country of origin.