The U.S. government now considers WNBA star Brittney Griner to be wrongfully detained by the Russian government, signaling a significant shift in how officials will try to get her home, sources familiar with her case told ESPN.
The officials and other sources close to Griner's case declined to say what led to the shift or whether there have been any discussions about what it would take to secure her release.
But the change in official designation means that the U.S. government will no longer wait for Griner's case to play out through the Russian legal system and will seek to negotiate her return.