Yahoo Sports Brittney Griner Honored On Jerseys Of All 22 Players At WNBA All-Star Game
All the players at Sunday’s WNBA All-Star game took to the court in jerseys bearing fellow player Brittney Griner’s name and number.
Griner, a star of the Phoenix Mercury, has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February, after vape cannisters with cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. She pleaded guilty last week.
Players on both teams wore jerseys with the number 42 throughout the second half of the All-Star contest at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. The Phoenix Mercury logo and Griner’s name also appeared on the uniforms.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, was seated courtside during the display. Several players hugged her.
Every player in the #WNBAAllStar Game came out to start the second half in Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey. pic.twitter.com/SOu4KkE0qh
— ESPN (@espn) July 10, 2022
“We are not going to stop until everyone understands how serious this really is,” A’ja Wilson, a Las Vegas Aces forward and captain of one of the All-Star teams, said.
Candace Parker of Team Wilson runs on to the court wearing the jersey of Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury during the 2022 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Photo: Stephen Gosling via Getty Images)
Griner, who has played seven All-Star games in her career, has been designated by the U.S. State Department as wrongfully detained in Russia.
She pleaded guilty on Thursday to drug possession and smuggling, but said she had no intention of committing a crime, telling the Moscow court she packed in a hurry and included the canisters by accident.
She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.
She had been returning to Russia to play in the Russian League, where she plays in the WNBA off-season.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
