For weeks, members of the Mercury braced for Thursday’s ruling in the trial involving their teammate Brittney Griner. And when a decision was reached in the Moscow court, hours after Griner delivered her closing remarks, the verdict leveled against the WNBA star was unsurprising to many.
Griner was found guilty of drug smuggling charges, and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony by a Russian court. The judge also issued a fine of 1 million rubles, which is roughly $16,300.
“It hits my heart heavy, but the brain side of me knows, it’s just the next step,” guard Diana Taurasi said last weekend, preparing for the result.
