WNBA star Brittney Griner was caught on video being harassed at the Dallas – Fort Worth airport on Saturday in the A terminal while traveling with her Phoenix Mercury teammates. The provocateur filming her was tackled and law enforcement got involved.
According to the WNBA,
[T]he encounter was “orchestrated by a social media figure and provocateur. His actions were inappropriate and unfortunate.”
“We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players,” the statement reads.
The Phoenix Mercury team offered that they are “reviewing the incident.”
“The health and well-being of our players and staff are our top priority and we will always take every step within our power to protect player safety,” the statement said.
“No one, regardless of identity, should ever fear for their safety. We will be coordinating with the WNBA on next steps,” it continued.
Player safety while traveling should be at the forefront. People following with cameras saying wild remarks is never acceptable. Excessive harassment. Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better.
— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) June 10, 2023
Brittney Griner was arrested at the Moscow airport in February 2022 with less than a gram of hash oil. She had a prescription for medical cannabis, but it’s illegal in Russia. She pled guilt, noting that she hadn’t intended to break the law, and was sentenced to 9 years in prison – far more than an average sentence for the crime of 15 days. In December 2022 she was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout – known as ‘the merchant of death’ – who was serving 25 years for terrorism charges.
The two-time Olympic Gold medalist is a lightning rod for culture wars, because she’s not just the first openly gay athlete signed by Nike but she models clothes that are branded ‘menswear’. She has vocally objected to playing the national anthem at sporting events, but agreed to stand for the anthem for the 2023 WNBA season after being freed from Russia. While it’s in vogue for Americans to criticize America, time in a Russian prison is a front row seat to comparative politics.
She’s ‘controversial’ in her own right in some corners, but became more so because while she got a raw deal, that’s always a risk in Russia, and Putin clearly got the better of the exchange. So people inclined to dislike her feel humiliated, and see her as a fulcrum around which to criticize President Biden as well.
While I’m often recognized in airports (and in lounges especially, as well as at breakfast as top Hyatt resorts) I’m grateful not to be famous.
(HT: Demetrius)
You cosplay as a Hyatt resort? Is that like the deal at Chipotle where if you dress up as a burrito on Halloween, you get a free burrito?
Why are there so many haters in this country. He should try a Russian jail before he mouths off!
Alex Stein is great!
No one is truly successful until they have a “bodyguard” that’s 6 inches shorter and 80 lbs heavier that them! 😉 Keep the dream alive, Gary!
They should have left her in Russia. Do the crime, gotta do the time.
The USA should be thankful the approximately 500,000 with a brain manage to keep it relevant because the other 331 million are complete idiots.
The only answer to a bully is to stand up to him. In this case it’s just an idiot kid, but still nobody should get away with such hurtful and pointless garbage. While a sock in the mouth is tempting, asking such a person if their mother is proud of them or calmly saying that they are stupid may be just as effective. I do feel sorry for where this loser will be in 20 years. But not much.
Boo hoo. Anti American freak gets a taste of the first amendment.
Not a BG fan, and personally, she messed up but Russia took it to a new level. I am glad she is home with her family, safe and sound, but BG should have punched him, I would have but she rose above, good going BG! What a sad sick little man. There is a special place for him later in life, it’s call H E double hockey stick. Grow up you loser!
Whether people like it or not Griner will get harrassed this idiotic administration traded an international arms dealer just to get her released. This guy was just asking what I am sure millions are asking. Griner should still be in a Russian prison.
@ Steve Smith — She didn’t break any laws, so I’m pretty sure she doesn’t belong in a Russian prison. Did FoxNews not cover the part about the charges against her being fabricated?
@Gene – Huh? Fabricated? She ADMITTED to having the illegal substance. No fabrication. Even MSNBC and the liberal elites acknowledge she made a mistake. Agree it was elaborated to humiliate the US and also trade an arms dealer who has indirectly killed thousands for a basketball player.
Just because she had a prescription and it would be legal in parts of the US (BTW NOT IN STATES THAT DON”T ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA) doesn’t mean it is legal in other countries. Frankly she would have been executed for it in a few places. Keep drinking the liberal kool aid though buddy.
@ AC — She said what she was forced to say. It happens to (mostly brown and black) people all the time.
@Charlie “Alex Stein is…”
A punk, a troll and a small, insignificant human being.
@Gene – I know she was told to basically plead guilty and hope for mercy. I also recognize that minorities was often the victim of excessive prosecution. However, she actually did have the cannabis oil. She has a medical prescription for it (still not legal in Russia) and used it frequently to deal with pain. That has been reported by many sources across the political spectrum. Not making a judgement on her use of it (I like THC gummies myself) but it was very poor judgement to take it into Russia and she was certainly familiar with Russian restrictions after playing there for a number of years. For you to act like it was all made up, or a “vast right wing conspiracy” to quote Bubba, just is not correct.
Lol at the “patriots” saying she should have died in a Russian prison because she brought some weed into the country. But when their Lord and Savior steals classified information then it’s “but Brittney’s emails…”.
Gene – you’re an idiot. It broke the law in Russia. It was traded for an arms dealer which is ridiculous.
@ Michael — Bingo!
@Gary: She is held in contempt not for any of the reasons you say but because she is unpatriotic (apparently less so now that she has a point of comparison).
That is absolutely hilarious.
“After officers were called to the scene on Saturday, an American Airlines manager tried to find an area for the Mercury to congregate until their flight. A nearby Admirals Club representative said the team could enter if it purchased a day pass, but once the team was escorted to the lounge, the Mercury were told “they did not have enough room for the team,” the report stated.”
So many people have a warped sense of what it means to be unpatriotic. They trash people who speak out about the abuses of SOME people in law enforcement and then clutch their pearls when their false god is indicted, claiming that law enforcement is abusing their delicate flower. They claim they want the government out of people’s lives, until they want the government to legislate what they want legislated. They brutally attack someone who takes a knee to draw attention to a cause but have no problem defending people who tried to overthrow our government.
The folks claiming to be the standard bearers for patriotism are some of the most unpatriotic people to ever walk the streets. They don’t care about America. They care about their own position and power. F everyone else.
I’ll sit back now while folks twist themselves into knots trying to justify their indefensible POVs while attacking me personally.
I mean what did she expect. So many wrong choices.
@Gary ¡What a supercilious conclusion, this time ! We are accustomed to less arrogance, you sound like a middle aged Frenchman ( exactly what I am !)
@ L3 — She is held in contempt by FoxNews viewers. These people hate her simply becuase she is a black lesbian and is far more successful than they will ever be. In case you weren’t aware, only a minority of Americans have been brainwashed by the proven liars at FoxNews (to date). She is a hero in my eyes.
@Gene: it is “because” not “becuase”. Fox News viewers spell it that way.
@ L3 — It’s called a typo, moron.
Marc I couldn’t have said it better. I agree completely.
Griner chose to become a widely known public figure and the savior of the “the merchant of death”. She could have rejected the deal and stayed in Russia. Her league is no different as she is still a member of it and her team. As a public figure, she will sometimes be asked questions she would rather not answer. The solution is to withdraw from public. I have no sympathy for her. She knew what she was doing. She certainly does act entitled.
I’m impressed with the fact that the AA Admiral’s Club stuck to their rules. The WNBA team can use the lounge if there is room (thus honoring their commitment to current members/occupants) and if the team PURCHASES a Day Pass . . . just as us mere mortals would need to do.