During her time in captivity in Russia, Brittney Griner has been able to communicate with fellow WNBA players by email and letter. An account set up by Griner’s agent has received hundreds of emails from athletes who want to contact her.
To get the emails to Griner, they have to be printed out and handed in batches one at a time by Griner’s lawyer once Russian authorities have approved them. Even if Griner doesn’t even have access to an email account, her lawyers can snap a photo of her written reply, or she can use dictation if the paper is not available.
After sending an email to Griner a few months ago, Los Angeles Sparks forward Amanda Zahui B. never expected a reply.
“When she responded to my second letter it blew me away,” Zahui B. said. “I was like she responded!! In my third letter, I was like ‘hey best friend, we are officially best friends now.'”
Griner has been detained in Russia since late February, when vape cartridges purportedly containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at a Moscow airport. U.S. officials have since deemed Griner as wrongfully detained.
Zahui B. is one of many WNBA players who have reached out to Griner to let her know they were thinking of her.
“We just don’t want her to think she’s forgotten,” New York Liberty center Stefanie Dolson said.
Phoenix teammate Diana Taurasi has not only sent an email to Griner but also written a handwritten note.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, says that letters help Griner stay in touch with her teammates. Some players express their concerns for Griner’s well-being, wishing her well and praying for her release. Others prefer to add personal touches, such as Sudoku puzzles or handwritten letters.
“She jokes in her letters. I don’t know how she does it with what she’s going through. She’s an amazing soul,” Zahui B. said. “She brings light in a situation like this. I don’t think a lot of people could manage to do that.”
Griner’s narcotics smuggling allegations have a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail. Her pre-trial detention was extended one month in May, pushing her initial custody hearing back at a minimum to the middle of June.
“It’s a hassle. This is a sensitive subject that you don’t want to say anything inappropriate,” Washington Mystics forward Elizabeth Williams said. “Unfortunately, this is also a tragic circumstance, and you wouldn’t want to keep bringing it up to her. I believe that at the climax of the day, she is pleased to receive any communication from anyone.”
Williams said the WNBA’s union reminds players every two weeks of the email address where players can contact Griner. The account will not be made public as a temporary measure to keep the level of correspondence manageable.
