Athletes at the ESPY Awards highlighted Brittney Griner’s absence and called for endurance in the fight for her release from Russian detainment.
As the WNBA was recognized as the Sports Humanitarian League of the Year on Wednesday, ESPYs host and NBA all-star Stephen Curry stood with WNBA stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith inside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to say, “We are BG,” noting that her “predicament commands our attention.”
“It’s been 153 nights now that [Griner] has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home,” said Diggins-Smith, Griner’s teammate with the Phoenix Mercury. “All throughout that time, we’ve kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts, even though we know that ain’t nearly enough to bring her home, y’all.”
The WNBA are the Sports Humanitarian League of the Year.
Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Steph Curry all took a moment to honour Brittney Griner.@ESPYs pic.twitter.com/BoRSzJbN8c
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 21, 2022
Griner was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of cannabis possession. Last week, her lawyers told the Russian court that she had a prescription for medical marijuana for a chronic injury prior to her arrest. The WNBA superstar recently pleaded guilty to drug charges and faces a 10-year prison sentence.
“There are a lot of people working hard right now to secure Brittney’s release,” Curry said. “But as we hope for the best, we urge the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized on her behalf because Brittney isn’t just on the Phoenix Mercury. She isn’t just a member of her team in Russia. She isn’t just an Olympian. She is one of us, the team of athletes in this room tonight and all over the world, a team that has nothing to do with politics or global conflict.”
“We cannot stop fighting for her,” Curry added. “We cannot stop believing for her, and we will not stop hoping for the day we can welcome her home safely.”
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Diggins-Smith also advocated more awareness, saying the “more that we see her face, the closer that we will feel to her and her to us.”
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe was honored with the ESPY for Best Play in recognition of a corner kick goal she scored for the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
HOW ABOUT THAT START?!? ? @mPinoe
? @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/l17IJVo2ju
— USWNT – Concacaf Champs ? (@USWNT) August 5, 2021
During her acceptance speech, Rapinoe said more can be done to fight for Griner’s release because she is a “political prisoner.”
“Every time we say her name, every time it’s on social media, every time we say it in interviews, it puts pressure on everybody,” Rapinoe said. “It lets B.G. know also, above everything, that we love her and that we miss her and that we’re thinking about her all of the time. We’re doing every single thing that we can to get her out because that’s, honestly, the most important thing. Like, what are we doing here dressed up, like we are, when our sister is detained abroad?”
“We love her. … We miss her. … We’re doing every single thing we can to get her out.”
—Megan Rapinoe took a moment to acknowledge Brittney Griner at the ESPYS pic.twitter.com/5JDFj74bLS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 21, 2022
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“We haven’t done enough,” Rapinoe continued. “We can do more. We can support her more and just let her know that we love her so much.”
