Brittney Yevette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association. She played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. She is the only NCAA basketball player to both score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.
Brittney Griner: Abuse| Wnba salary| Is a transsexual| Trade with russia
Abuse:
After months of internal debate, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence, as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, according to people briefed on the matter.
These sources told CNN that the plan to trade Bout for Whelan and Griner received the backing of President Joe Biden after being under discussion since earlier this year.
WNBA Salary:
Griner earned $227,000 during her latest season with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, the maximum salary allowed in women’s professional basketball in the US. As such, many players have decided to look overseas to augment their salary.
Biden’s support for the swap overrides opposition from the Department of Justice, which is generally against prisoner trades.
Is a transsexual:
Jackson explained Griner consulted with her wife before heading off to play in Russia, and she said they hoped this would be her last season playing for a Russian team.
“When the season in the US ends, there is barely a week before our players are off to Poland or to Israel or to Australia,” Jackson said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that “so far, there is no agreement on this issue.”
Trade with Russia:
The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia to bring home Brittney Griner, a WNBA basketball player from Houston facing a trial on drug charges, and Paul Whelan, another American held in Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
As part of the deal, Russia would release Griner and Whelan in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trafficker imprisoned in the U.S., CNN reported.
A senior administration official told the news outlet that the deal has the backing of President Joe Biden and is expected to be “successful based on a history of conversations with the Russians.”
