By Sean Griffin | outsider.com
U.S. embassy officials met with WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday, the White House and State Department said. Griner has been locked up in a Russian prison since February after officials in Russia discovered cannabis oil in her luggage at the airport. She received nine years at her sentencing on August 4th. She also paid a fine of $16,500.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a tweet that U.S. Embassy officials in Moscow visited Griner and “saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reported from Air Force One, saying that Griner “is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.” Jean-Pierre said securing Griner’s release remains a “top priority” for the Biden administration.
Griner plays center for the Phoenix Mercury and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
After being found guilty in August of trying to smuggle illegal narcotics into the country, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner appealed the decision. However, a Russian court denied her appeal in October, upholding the prison term.
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