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Standing 206 cm (6 feet 9 inches) tall, the Texan was selected
first overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2013 Women's
National Basketball Association (WBNA) draft.
Griner, known as "BG" to basketball fans, has played for UMMC
Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA offseason since 2014. The
club has drawn other top U.S. basketball players including Sue
Bird, Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker.
WHY WAS SHE DETAINED IN RUSSIA?
Griner was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17
with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.
Marijuana is illegal in Russia for both medicinal and
recreational purposes.
Griner was detained upon crossing customs to catch her flight to
Ekaterinburg, a city 1,400 km (870 miles) east of Moscow.
She was flying there to join her team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, for
the playoffs after spending time at home in the United States.
WHAT HAS HER DEFENCE ARGUED?
Griner pleaded guilty to the drugs charges against her but
insists she did not intend to break Russian law.
She testified that she did not understand how the cartridges
could have ended up in her luggage. She speculated that she
could have inadvertently packed them as she rushed to make her
flight.
Griner had a prescription in the United States for medical
marijuana to relieve the pain from chronic injuries. Medical
marijuana is a common treatment method among athletes where the
substance is legal given that it has fewer side effects than
some painkillers.
WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES?
U.S. officials and prominent athletes say Griner has been
wrongly detained and have called for her immediate release,
saying she is being used as a political pawn.
U.S. President Joe Biden called Griner's wife Cherelle last
month to tell her he was working to secure her release from
Russia as soon as possible.
Prominent U.S. athletes also have expressed their support for
Griner. Megan Rapinoe of the women's U.S. national soccer team
wore a white suit jacket with the initials "BG" embroidered on
her lapel as she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
highest civilian honour in the country, from Biden last month.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN AFTER THE VERDICT?
Griner's defence team said it was "legally possible" for her to
be swapped after the court renders a verdict.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that
Washington had made Moscow a "substantial offer" for the release
of American citizens held in Russia, including Griner and former
Marine Paul Whelan.
A source said that Washington was willing to exchange convicted
arms trafficker Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death".
Russian officials said that no deal had been agreed to yet, and
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Washington that
"megaphone diplomacy" would not lead to results when negotiating
a potential prisoner swap.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus
MacSwan)
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