In unspeakable tragedies, people often call for unity. They will say “We are Boston Strong” or “I’m Charlie” or “We are” [insert wherever or whomever the unthinkable has happened to].” It is a commendable instinct to claim solidarity with those who have suffered, to imagine that we truly understand how we are all connected, to proclaim that what affects one of us affects us all.
Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four months after allegedly finding a small amount of hash oil in her luggage, I wonder why we haven’t seen a tidal wave of demands for her release. In the attention economy, Mrs. Griner’s predicament seems to be somewhat ignored.
At least the media is reporting the story, and some rights groups and athletes have spoken, but that is not enough. More public pressure to intervene is needed. “We are BG” should be a viral rallying cry, but it isn’t – and why? Is it misogyny? Racism? Homophobia? The unholy trifecta?
Ms. Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges but explained that she had not intentionally violated Russian law. Now she faces up to 10 years in a penal colony. She is trapped and alone, her condition unimaginable. There are reportedly more than 60 Americans wrongfully detained abroad are all wondering when and if they will be rescued. They have families working tirelessly for their return. They all deserve our sympathy and attention.
Mrs. Griner gets more attention than most, but that’s not saying much. I suppose I have a certain empathy for her because as a tall, tattooed, black, strange woman, I understand that we are often invisible and overlooked, despite us standing out.
Each time Mrs. Griner is transported to court, a two and a half hour journey each way, she is put in a cage that is too small for her large body. according to Mrs. Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner. She communicates with her family through letters. In the few images of Ms. Griner who has been released since her detention, she looks ashen.
No one should be treated like that, famous or not. But Mrs. Griner is famous, a highly decorated basketball player – an eight-time WNBA All-Star. She won Olympic gold as part of the US team in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021. During the years she played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, she helped lead the team to EuroLeague titles.
Although a Kremlin spokesman has denied While the incarceration of Brittney Griner is politically motivated, President Vladimir Putin certainly knows her value as a pawn. There has been talk that Moscow may be willing to trade Mrs. Griner for a Russian arms dealer, Victor Bolt, serving a 25-year prison term in the United States. Given Ms. Griner’s relatively minor offense, the political cost of making such an exchange for a man nicknamed “Merchant of Death” is unbelievably high. But the human cost of doing nothing would be even higher.
The longer she remains a pawn, the more her humanity is erased. Recently, Ms. Griner wrote to President Biden expressing her fears. “Please don’t forget about me and the other American prisoners,” she wrote. She also said she had a new understanding of freedom now that hers has been taken. After months of tireless advocacy, Cherelle Griner has finally spoken to Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who both pledged to do everything possible to bring BG home.
With a height of 1.80 meters, the muscular and tattooed Mrs. Griner cuts an imposing figure. But when I spoke to Cherelle Griner, she told me, “BG is just more than a basketball player. Right now people just see her as No. 42, the person who goes out and is aggressive on the court.” Brittney, she continued, “is someone with feelings, just like everyone else. And so she cares about her family, her friends. She is very intentional with everything she does with the people in her life. And for more than 130 days they have stripped her of it.” Cherelle’s words were a stark reminder of what’s at stake for Brittney, of the more vulnerable she is.
This disturbing situation also highlights the problems with women’s sports economies. WNBA players get a small share of what their NBA counterparts earn. To supplement their income, many women play abroad during the US off-season. During a press conference after the gamePhoenix Mercury’s coach Vanessa Nygaard, Mrs. Griner’s team, noted that if Mrs. Griner was LeBron James, she’d be home by now. The painful truth is that he wouldn’t be in this situation with the fame and reward that so far eclipses the female players.
At this month’s WNBA All-Star game, players from both teams wore Ms. Griner’s number during the second half to remind the public of her arrest and honor her. LeBron James and other NBA players have used their platforms to draw attention to her plight, but too many others have remained silent.
We should all call for action. Write to your senators and representatives and encourage them to lobby the Biden administration on behalf of Ms. Griner. Get action on social media. We must not forget the detention of Ms. Griner, nor other Americans in similar circumstances, amid the challenges many of us face in our own lives.
We are BG. We have to repeat that mantra until there is enough tide to take her home. We are not free until we are all free.