United States' Brittney Griner (15) grabs a rebound ahead of Serbia's Maja Skoric (24) during women's basketball semifinal game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Tokyo Olympics Basketball
UNDATED -AP A judge in Russia is denying WNBA star Brittney Griner’s request to be placed under house arrest. The United States has demanded consular access to Griner, who is faring well behind bars in Russia, according to a member of a Russian state-backed prison monitoring group. Griner is accused of bringing vape cartridges into Russia containing an oil derived from cannabis. Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of the commission that visits lockups outside of Moscow, told The Associated Press on Friday that she visited Griner on Monday and that Griner seemed to be doing well under the circumstances. She says Griner’s lawyers have been visiting her regularly, but she hadn’t met with a U.S. consul yet. The State Department issued a statement Friday demanding access to Griner, who plays in Russia during the WNBA offseason.
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