Misogyny Inevitably Blamed for Arrest of WNBA Player on Drug Charges in Russia

A recent Atlantic article reacted to WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was recently arrested in Russia on drugs charges, and placed a majority of the blame for the athlete’s situation on the United States and the professional basketball league.

“If the U.S. gave women’s basketball the respect it deserves, the WNBA star might not be in legal jeopardy,” reads The Atlantic article published Saturday.

Griner was reportedly detained by Russian customs officers in February after they discovered vaping supplies as well as cannabis oil cartriges in her luggage as she was traveling through security at Sheremetyevo Airport, near Moscow.

Griner, who was traveling from New York back to Russia to continue her time with one of the country’s top teams, could face up to 10 years in prison.

“Griner’s plight is especially acute because she’s a Black queer woman being held by authorities in a country that is hostile toward LGBTQ people,” wrote The Atlantic contributing writer Jemele Hill, who noted legislative moves that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made in recent years regarding LGBTQ issues.

Hill continues on to place blame with the WNBA for paying their players so little, opening up the near necessity of taking “lucrative” offers from countries like Russia and China in the US off-season.

“Griner’s decision to play basketball in a country that suppresses personal freedoms is a matter of simple economics. Many WNBA stars work in other countries during the WNBA’s off-season because doing so is more lucrative than playing in the US,” wrote Hill.

Griner reportedly makes more than $1 million to play for the Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, while she was only payed $221,450 to play for Phoenix Mercury last season.

“Russia wouldn’t be a tantalizing option for America’s best women’s basketball players if they could earn more at home and be treated with the same professional respect as NBA players,” wrote Hill, calling the disparity in “value” of these players in these oppressive countries “damning.”

“The NBA, which founded the WNBA, shares some of the blame for creating an environment where WNBA players who want to maximize their earning potential must play overseas for a significant part of the year. Five of the 12 WNBA owners also have NBA teams, and there’s no justification for why they continue to relegate their women players to second-class status,” wrote Hill.

Hill later noted that with the recent violent conflict breaking out in Eastern Europe, “this might not seem like an appropriate time to point out the inequities that top athletes face.”

“However, Griner’s case has become international news, and she could be in serious trouble if the Russian government decides to use her as a geopolitical pawn,” Hill noted.

She noted that Griner may have a sliver of leverage in Russia, seeing that she has helped her Russian team to win four EuroLeague Women’s championships.

“Putting aside the criminal allegations against Griner, her case at the very least should create enormous scrutiny around how female athletes are valued in the United States. This is a necessary wake-up call for the WNBA. The league should treat its players better than a team in a hostile country does,” Hill concluded.