WNBA Players Won't Play In Russia This Offseason

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a court room ater a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. A judge in Russia has convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

WNBA stars have decided to skip the chance to play in Russia during the offseason. Many WNBA stars earn extra cash in the offseason by competing in Russia’s pro league – but the imprisonment of Brittney Griner and the ongoing Ukraine invasion has brought all that to an end.

Seattle star Breanna Stewart – who played alongside Griner in Russia – summed it up best:

“Nobody’s going to go there until she’s home,” Brittney Griner’s teammate Breanna Stewart said. https://t.co/IL2QLLRlV4

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 20, 2022