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Brittney Griner's detention in Russia reaches 100 days, WNBA commissioner says 'we're working on it'

Saturday marks 100 days since WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia. Griner was originally taken into Russian custody Feb. 17 on drug charges after customs officials at a Moscow airport claimed she had vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage.

On Friday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke with media at Indiana Farmers Coliseum prior to the Indiana Fever's game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Engelbert has received messages from Griner’s Russian lawyer, one of the few people able to speak with Griner, indicating she is doing okay, given the circumstances.

"As I said, it's unimaginable and extremely complex, continues to be," Engelbert said. "We continue to work. It's not a day that goes by that we're not on some call with either the U.S. government, the State Department, some expert in hostage negotiation, or just in this geopolitical mess that the world has found itself in, that we're kind of a small microcosm of in the world.

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"So we're working on it. We're getting messages (there). Players are able to get messages, not talk to, but get messages to Brittney, get her support while she's there, let her know that we're all thinking about her."

As of May 3, the United States government has classified Griner’s arrest as a "wrongful detainment." Engelbert said when Griner was officially considered wrongfully detained, it allowed them to work more closely with the State Department.

"I think the wrongful detention allowed her case to be in this Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Those are the people we're talking to every day," Engelbert said. "Those are the people that really have the ability to negotiate something here to get her home as quickly as possible. But the most important thing is safely too, we don't want to jeopardize the timing."

Brittney Griner leaves a court hearing on May 13.
Brittney Griner leaves a court hearing on May 13.

Another major point in bringing Griner home is continuing to publicize the situation. While Engelbert was in Indianapolis on Friday, she attended the Indiana Global Economic Summit, hosted by Gov. Eric Holcomb and spoke about Griner’s detainment with the attendees.

On Tuesday, Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, spoke publicly for the first time since her detainment, doing an interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America."

"Those interviews were important too, for sure, all expressing the urgency by which we want Brittney home," Engelbert said. "So I think you'll see a lot of activity over the next couple of days. Tomorrow is the 100th day and that's kind of sobering right, the 100th day that Brittney will be detained in Russia."

Cherelle Griner told Roberts she believes President Joe Biden is the only person who can do something about her wife’s detainment. She also requested a meeting with the president during the interview.

Engelbert believes the U.S. government as a whole is tasked with bringing Griner home.

"I would call it the government. I don't think it's only the president," Engelbert said. "I think the government has all the tools and I've been so impressed with the State Department. One of the people we're dealing with is a 16-year Army Special Forces, and you feel really good about their capability, what they know, how they know she's being treated in Russia and all this stuff. So I think I'll call it the government more broadly."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Brittney Griner's Russia detention at 100 days: WNBA 'working on it'