WNBA Star Lisa Leslie Says They Were Told Not to Make a ‘Big Fuss’ About Brittney Griner Being Detained in Russia [Video]

Former WNBA star and Triplets coach Lisa Leslie says she was told to not make a “big fuss” about Brittney Griner being detained in Russia. 

As we continue to hope for Griner’s safe return back to the States, more conversations around why there aren’t more conversations happening about Griner’s detainment are beginning to arise. During an interview on the I Am Athlete podcast, WNBA icon Lisa Leslie shared that she was told not to make a “big fuss” over Griner being held in Russia so that Griner won’t be used as a “pawn.”

“What we were told, and again, this is all sort of passed along through hearsay, but what we were told was to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the war,” said Leslie.

She continued: “So, to make it like it’s not that important, or don’t make it like ‘Free Brittney’ and we start this campaign, and then it becomes they could use. That’s what we were ‘told’ and I don’t want to say who said that, but it’s what’s been spreading throughout the women’s basketball world.”

Leslie questioned what the correct response is. 

“Do we know if that’s the right thing to do or not?” Leslie asked. “It’s heartbreaking for all of us. That’s the feelings of it. You want to do more, and think, should we all use our social media platform and get behind it or not? Nobody really [knows]. This is the first time we’re in this situation, and we don’t know what to do.”