Adaora Elonu, a former WBNA player who has also played in Russia, said she was “extremely concerned” about Griner.
“Right now I’m just really, really worried — also knowing she’s been there for a long time,” Elonu told DailyExpertNews on Tuesday.
She described feeling detached from much of the world while living in Russia. “Being in Russia, I was in a bit of a bubble,” Elonu said.
“I didn’t feel unsafe. I had the feeling that not much was happening in that country. I know there was a lot going on outside the country. But as far as I was in Russia, we didn’t get much news about what was going on Apart from my family and friends and my agent, they let me know what was going on. But it was hard to balance what was really happening and what I was feeling,” she said.
“But once things started to escalate, my agent absolutely insisted on getting out. And I’m glad I took his advice and left.”
‘There are no words to express this pain’
Griner’s whereabouts are not publicly known. DailyExpertNews has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment, but has not heard anything.
A member of the Russian Federal Customs Service described the charges against Griner to Russia 24, the country’s main news channel.
“A criminal case has been opened against a US citizen under Section 2 of 229 YK RF (Russian law) for smuggling a significant amount of drugs,” Irina Begisheva of the Federal Customs Service’s Chief Anti-Smuggling Directorate told Russia . 24.
In an Instagram post, Griner’s wife described the pain of waiting.
“There are no words to express this pain. I am in pain, we are in pain.”
Over the weekend, she thanked supporters and asked for privacy “while we continue to work to get my wife home safely.”
But a member of the US House Armed Services Committee said “it will be very difficult” to get Griner out of Russia.
“Our diplomatic relations with Russia are non-existent at this time,” Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California told DailyExpertNews on Monday.
“Perhaps during the various negotiations that can take place, she can be one of the solutions. I do not know.’
Griner’s high school basketball coach, Debbie Jackson, said she is concerned that Griner’s case will be used for political purposes.
“My biggest fear is that … she will become a political pawn,” Jackson told DailyExpertNews.
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Griner’s hometown of Houston, said she raised the issue of Griner’s arrest and the “necessity that she be released immediately and that she have the assistance of the United States to secure that release.” demand and facilitate.” in that meeting with the president, according to a statement Tuesday.
A legendary career
Griner has spent her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury and won the championship in 2014. The WNBA has confirmed that all other league players have left Russia and Ukraine.
She won the EuroLeague Women’s Championship last year with Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg, where she played during her offseasons since 2015.
Lucy Kafanov, Wayne Sterling, Rosa Flores, Lisa France, Chris Boyette and Chenelle Woody of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report.