Brittney Griner fears facing inhumane treatment at Russia’s penal colonies,

• The WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after customs agents found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage in February.

• Griner’s appeal has been denied, and if she’s not included in a prisoner swap between the US and Russia soon, the WNBA All-Star will have to serve her sentence at a penal colony.

• As her detention has dragged on, Griner has grown increasingly fearful of the “miserable or inhumane conditions” she could face, her lawyer told The New York Times.

• Here’s what we know about Russian penal colonies and what Griner’s experience could look like.

Brittney Griner is one of the most accomplished basketball players on the planet.

A 6-foot-9 superstar for the Phoenix Mercury, Griner is an eight-time WNBA All-Star, a two-time scoring champion, a two-time defensive player of the year, and a WNBA champion.

She’s also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA.

When she’s not competing in the WNBA or for Team USA, Griner takes her talents overseas to supplement her income.

How low WNBA salaries led to an American basketball superstar’s detainment in Russia

Each year since 2014 — just her second out of college — Griner has headed to Russia to compete for the European powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Brittney Griner’s Russian team — owned by a Putin-aligned oligarch — is a hot spot for WNBA superstars

The 2021-22 WNBA off-season was no exception; Griner was on her way to Ekaterinburg, in the Ural region, in February when she was stopped at a Moscow airport.

Russian customs agents found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in the WNBA star’s luggage and subsequently detained her.

Nearly six months later, Griner was convicted of drug smuggling “with criminal intent” and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison after guilty verdict on drug charges

Her legal team subsequently appealed the decision, but the move was never expected to free her or even reduce her sentence.

Story continues

Brittney Griner appealed her 9-year Russian prison sentence, but the move is unlikely to free the WNBA star

And, in late October, her appeal was officially rejected.

Brittney Griner lost her appeal and will now begin a 9-year sentence in one of Russia’s infamous penal colonies

Unless she’s released in a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, Griner will almost certainly spend some time at a Russian penal colony.

Brittney Griner’s freedom could hinge on an unorthodox prisoner exchange involving…