Brittany Griner will spend 9 1/2 years in a Russian prison per the court’s ruling today.

A Russian court on Thursday found the American basketball star Brittney Griner guilty of an attempt to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony, according to her lawyers. The verdict ended a closely watched trial that her supporters say made her a pawn in a tense geopolitical showdown over the war in Ukraine.

The verdict, virtually preordained in a legal system in which defendants are rarely acquitted, leaves Ms. Griner’s fate subject to diplomatic bargaining between Russia and the United States. The countries have been discussing the possibility of a prisoner exchange that would bring Ms. Griner home from Russia, where she has been detained since traveling there in mid-February.

Officials in Moscow have said that a verdict in her trial was a necessary precondition for a possible exchange for Ms. Griner, an Olympian who is one of the biggest stars of her generation. The United States has said she was wrongly detained, held by Russia as a bargaining chip amid the acrimony with the West over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Let’s back up here and get some background. First, while Brittany Griner is an exceptional basketball player, her utter disdain (hatred really) for all that is America has turned a great many people away from her, myself included. She comes from a military family, yet has repeatedly refused to stand for our National Anthem. She has spoken out against law enforcement and more. Her attitude towards America, the country of her birth, is off-putting and atrocious. 

Fast forward to this spring when the news breaks that Brittany Griner is in a Russian jail. Why? Because she was in that country with pot in her possession. Pot or cannabis of ANY kind is illegal in Russia. Period. 

Oh, but she was ‘stress-packing’ which is why all of those cannibis containers ended up in her bag. 

Griner testified last week that she did not mean to leave the cartridges in her bag, but that she was in a hurry and was stressed after recovering from COVID-19 that month. The WNBA star said she was aware that the U.S. had warned Americans about traveling to Russia, but she didn’t want to let her team down in the playoffs.

She also testified that she has permission to use medical cannabis and used a certificate to buy it in the U.S. Earlier this month, one of Griner’s attorneys presented a letter from an American doctor in court, giving her permission to use cannabis to reduce chronic pain.

See that? Containers PLURAL. Let me tell you what stress-packing is. It is when you find out that a loved one is near death or has been in a major accident, and you are throwing anything and everything you could think of into your suitcase so you can get out the door in five minutes in a rush to get to their side. It ISN’T stressful to pack when it’s a planned trip to another country to continue playing with the Russian team. I could see if it is ONE cartridge that was stuck in a pocket, but multiple cartridges? Call me skeptical. 

That said, as she stated during her trial, she KNEW that pot of any kind was illegal in Russia. So why she thought a permission slip from an American doctor to use pot IN the U.S. would change the court’s mind is beyond me. 

Would things potentially be different if it was a famous NBA player such as LeBron James or Stephen Curry?

Quite honestly, I would hope that Russia would treat everyone the same regardless of their level of fame if they broke that country’s laws. However, the fact remains, Griner broke Russia’s law regarding illegal drugs. A law she was very well aware of. 

Needless to say, Brittany is reaping the consequences of her OWN actions. 

Breaking: Moscow's Khimki court has just sentenced US basketball player Brittney Griner to 9 years in penal colony and a 1 m rub ($16 k) fine on charges of carrying residue of hash in her vaping atomizer. https://t.co/yy8jPcwCqb

— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) August 4, 2022

But some are saying she’s a political pawn now. Given the State Department’s asinine idea for a prisoner swap, that’s not too far-fetched. 

Should the "merchant of death" who inspired Nicholas Cage's "Lord of War" be released in exchange for Brittany Griner & Paul Whelan?

My latest @realDailyWire piece explores this question in depth.@benshapiro @michaeljknowles @MattWalshBlog @andrewklavanhttps://t.co/J0fXI1gzFh

— A. Benjamin Mannes (@PublicSafetySME) August 2, 2022

Swap Griner and Whelan for a convicted drug smuggler who operated around the world for decades before getting caught? How in the world would this be a good idea??!!

Biden has issued a statement. 

BREAKING: Pres. Biden on Brittney Griner's sentence in Russian drug trial: "Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates." https://t.co/sloL1ViXWs pic.twitter.com/hCZ6eoa83N

— ABC News (@ABC) August 4, 2022

I honestly don’t have any sympathy for Brittany Griner. I cheered when Baylor won the national championship years ago when she was a junior. However, since then, her anti-American stance has turned me off. 

Is the sentence harsh? That’s for others to dissect and decide. Will the Biden Administration be able to diplomatically arrange a prisoner exchange? Given Putin’s utter hatred of the Biden Administration (whom he views as terribly weak because it is), the negotiations will take awhile. 

As for athletes who join teams around the world to play during the off-season to make extra money, this is a a lesson and a warning. 

Feature Photo Credit: Original artwork by Victory Girls Darleen Click