Phoenix Mercury Coach Says Brittney Griner Would Be Home If She Was LeBron James

Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty Thursday to bringing cannabis-derived oil cartridges to Russia, knowing the country’s law, what will happen next?

Well, Brittney Griner’s coach, Vanessa Nygaard, believes that if Griner was a famous male basketball player, she would be home.

Nygaard said, “If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” She continued, “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”

Griner has been detained in Russia since February and made headlines this week for pleading guilty. Though she pleads guilty, there may be more to the story. The WNBA star’s attorney is hoping for some “leniency” from the court.

Maria Blagovolina says, “Considering all the circumstances of the case and taking into account the personality of our client, we believe that the admission of guilt should certainly be taken into account.”

Griner’s plea alleged that she was packing very quickly, didn’t think about the cartridges in her bag, and did not mean to break the law.

Since then, President Biden has been doing everything possible to bring the Phoenix Mercury player home. The White House has confirmed that Biden has read the letter Griner sent.

The White House released a statement, “The President called Cherelle (Griner’s wife) to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible.”

“The President offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance while his administration pursues every avenue to bring Brittney home.”