It’s been nearly three months since WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia after customs agents found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. As the league and U.S. government agencies have worked to ensure her return home, the NBA has refrained from making any league-issued public statements on the matter. During the draft lottery on Tuesday night, commissioner Adam Silver explained why.
“Both the WNBA and its brother league, the NBA, we have a huge responsibility to Brittney Griner as one of our players. Part of our decision to not take a higher profile here frankly came at the suggestion of experts in and out of government who thought the best path to getting Brittney out was not to amplify the issue,” Silver told ESPN’s Malika Andrews.