Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison after drug smuggling conviction

Brittney Griner
(Image credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Brittney Griner has been sentenced to almost a decade in Russian prison after being convicted of drug smuggling with criminal intent.

A Russian judge on Thursday handed down the sentence for the WNBA star, who has been in custody for over five months after being arrested with cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.