Brittney Griner’s wife reveals the WNBA star is ‘at her absolute weakest moment’ in a Russian prison

Imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner is ‘at her absolute weakest moment in life right now’ as she awaits her appeal hearing on drug charges in a Russian courtroom later this month, her wife told CBS Mornings.

‘I don’t know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one,’ Cherelle Griner said ahead of Brittney’s October 25 appeal hearing.

Brittney, a WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist who also played professionally in Russia, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, where police say they found hash oil in vape cartridges. Although Brittney has claimed she used cannabis for pain, the Russian legal system was unmoved, and she was ultimately sentenced to nine out of a possible 10 years in prison.

Imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner is ‘at her absolute weakest moment in life right now’ as she awaits her appeal hearing on drug charges in a Russian courtroom later this month, her wife Cherelle (pictured) told CBS Mornings

WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner holds photographs standing inside a defendants’ cage before a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on July 27

WNBA Player Brittney Griner with her spouse Cherelle Griner

Cherelle appeared to acknowledge her wife’s culpability when speaking with CBS but slammed the punishment Brittney has received.

‘I do believe a crime should warrant a punishment,’ Cherelle remarked. ‘But it must be balanced… B.G. has truly suffered beyond her crime already.’

Adding to Cherelle’s grief is the prospect of labor camp if Brittney’s appeal is denied.

‘Once that hearing is held, and the order is finalized, B.G.’s now in the position where she could be moved to a labor camp,’ Cherelle said. ‘My brain can’t even fathom it.’

The situation is obviously complicated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has left Brittney feeling like a political pawn.

‘She’s, like, saying things to me like, ‘My life just don’t even matter no more,” Cherelle said. ‘You know, ‘I feel like my life just doesn’t matter. Like, I’m just being tossed around, like, for people’s enjoyment and gain.’

‘Those are all valid emotions to feel and I don’t have answers for, except the fact that your life matters to me, and I wanna get you back home,’ Cherelle said. ‘I’m gonna continue to pray every day that, you know, the people that are the decision-makers in this situation will have mercy and will sit down, and they will, too, see that your life matters, and do whatever they can to agree — on terms.’

Cherelle (right) and Brittney got engaged in 2018 and were later married in the next year 

Griner has only spoken with her wife twice since being last February, and the latter of the two calls left her partner disturbed and crying for days.

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That exchange was in stark contrast to a previous call, where Cherelle says Brittney was more upbeat.

‘I think I cried for about two, three days straight,’ Cherelle told co-host Gayle King. ‘It was the most disturbing phone call I’d ever experienced.

‘I think I cried for about two, three days straight. It was the most disturbing phone call I’d ever experienced.

‘It’s just the most still, I think, moment I’ve just ever shared with my wife,’ she continued. ‘I didn’t have words.’

Cherelle remains hopeful that political tensions could lead to a prisoner swap that allows Brittney to return to the United States.

Recently Cherelle was reassured at a White House meeting that President Joe Biden is still pushing for a solution.

‘He’s doing what he can,’ Cherelle said. ‘But there’s another party in this situation, and we also are dealing with the need for Russia to have mercy on B.G. as well,’ Cherelle said.

‘I’m terrified I might be here forever,’ she wrote. ‘I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees’

Brittney had sent a handwritten letter to Biden asking for help.

‘I’m terrified I might be here forever,’ she wrote. ‘I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.’

There have been previous prisoner swaps between Russia and the US.

Former US Marine Trevor Reed was released by Russia in an April prisoner swap after being convicted of assault in July 2020. He was meant to serve a nine-year sentence.

‘I’m going to give credit where it’s due, and I feel as if this administration is putting a lot of manpower into ways to get BG home through negotiations,’ Cherelle said in July. ‘Because it’s not as simple as one may think – of looking at the list of people we have and asking Russia to choose.

‘It’s more complex than that and they are exhausting a lot of effort.’

The US government previously offered Russia a prisoner exchange involving Griner and Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage, for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence in the US.

Subsequent reports say the White House has not received a response to this offer.

The US Government has reportedly offered convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, who faces a 25-year sentence, for Griner and Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage in Russia