Brittney Griner’s family say she’s ‘OK’ but not ‘good’ as WNBA pushes ‘privately’ for her release from Russia

State Department say US consular officials yet to see basketball star in prison

Brittney Griner’s family say the basketball star is “OK” but not “good” as Russia extended her detention by at least several more months.

A source close to Griner told ESPN that “we know she’s OK” because of updates they have received from her Russian legal team, but added, “I wouldn’t say she’s ‘good,’ but she’s OK.”

The two-time Olympic gold medallist will remain under arrest in Moscow until at least 19 May after a court granted an extension for investigators, according to Russia’s state news agency.

The US State Department also say that consular officials in Moscow have still not been granted access to meet with Griner in prison.

“We insist the Russian government provide consular access to all US citizen detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention, as Brittney Griner is,” a spokesperson told The Independent.

“We have repeatedly asked for consular access to these detainees and have consistently been denied access. Russia must abide by its legal obligations and allow us to provide consular services for US citizens detained in Russia.

“We take our responsibility to assist US citizens seriously, and we will continue to press for fair and transparent treatment for all US citizens when they are subject to legal processes overseas.”

The 31-year-old WNBA star was detained by Russian Federal Customs Service at an airport near Moscow in February on drug charges.

And Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas told CNN that she was not confident Griner would be free any time soon.

“I’m afraid that on May 19, they’ll issue another delay,” she told the news network.

She is sharing a cell with two other prisoners at a detention centre in Khimki City, about 14 miles northwest of downtown Moscow, according to human rights group Public Monitoring Commission.

Group member Ekaterina Kalugina is quoted by TASS as saying Ms Griner did not complain about the conditions during a recent visit to the facility.

“The only objective problem was the height of the basketball player – 203 centimetres,” TASS quoted the activist. “The beds in the cell are clearly designed for a shorter person.”

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Insider that the league is pushing “privately” for Ms Griner’s release.

"We're in daily contact with her agent, her family, her legal representation. So it's everybody coordinating on this and obviously we don't want to do or say anything that is going to jeopardize her safety,” Ms Engelbert told the news site.

The two-time gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury star was playing for Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg when Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

The White House has been reluctant to comment on whether her detention was being used by Mr Putin as a “bargaining chip” in Russia’s war with Ukraine.

“Well, we have, of course, seen the reports, I cannot speak to the specifics of it as we do not have a Privacy Act waiver, but our objective is always to bring American citizens home who are detained in foreign countries, so that will remain our focus and that is what we would like to see the end outcome to be,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.