Breanna Stewart, like Griner, played for the big club Yekaterinburg, which won the Euro League five times in the last eight years.
But despite having a good time, the American will not return to Russia as it stands now.
- Honestly, my time in Russia has been amazing, but especially now that "BG" (Griner) is still wrongfully detained, no one will go there until she is free, says Stewart according to AP.
She gets the nod from Courtney Vandersloot:
- We were treated so well by our club and built such strong bonds with the people there, so I would never close the door on that.
But the situation with "BG" makes it very difficult to believe that it is safe for anyone to go back there now, she says.
Bringing in big money in Russia
On February 17, Brittney Griner was arrested at an airport in Khimki, outside Moscow, when she arrived from the United States.
In her package were e-cigarettes with cannabis oil, something that is banned in Russia.
Griner and her lawyers said the cannabis oil ended up in the luggage due to sloppy packing and that she has cannabis prescribed by a doctor for pain relief.
In August, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia.
The 31-year-old has also been sentenced to pay a fine of the equivalent of SEK 167,000.
Like her teammates, Griner had spent several of the WNBA's offseasons in Russia.
The American stars have pulled in big money in the Russian league.
Salaries in Russia reach as high as four times more than the top players in the WNBA pull in in a season.
The WNBA, for its part, has tried to improve the conditions for its players, so that they can stay in the United States even during the break.
According to commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the best players this year can earn the equivalent of SEK 7.5 million if you add up the salary with any bonuses.
CLIP: What happened to basketball star Brittney Griner?
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Brittney Griner is imprisoned in Russia.
Photo: Bildbyrån