Brittney Griner didn't become one of the greatest players in the WNBA by being anything less than sharp as a whip. A 6'9" center, Griner plays with maximum effort and pays keen attention to the minute details of the game. Learning how to play the right defensive angles has allowed her to get in the proper defensive position to swat opposing shots away. In turn, she has won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice and earned seven All-Defensive Team honors.
In addition, her savvy post-game has led to her winning two scoring titles, nine All-Star selections, and six All-WNBA Team citations. It's safe to say that nothing gets past Griner when it comes to the game. However, it certainly doesn't mean she's infallible.
Unfortunately, her mistake turned out to be a grave one, but not because of what she did but because of where she committed it: in Russia, of all places. On February 17, 2022, she was arrested after she was found to be in possession of two vaporizer cartridges that contained 0.7 grams of cannabis oil.
While that would have been perfectly fine in Arizona, that was absolutely forbidden in Russia. Before long, she was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Griner has since been released due to a controversial prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. After gathering her bearings and getting settled down following the harrowing experience, she spoke of the genesis of her ordeal: her unmindful packing.
She shared that her wife, Cherrelle Watson, typically does all her packing. But for some reason, she took it upon herself to pack her things before going to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA's offseason.
"My packing at that moment was just throwing all my stuff in there, zipping it up, and saying, 'Okay, I'm ready,'" Brittney revealed .
As she placed her bags through the airport's X-ray machine, she knew something was off when she was told to go through her backpack.
"The agent stared as I slowly lifted out a cartridge with cannabis oil. In Arizona, cannabis is legal. In Russia, it's forbidden. I knew that," Griner disclosed. "Honest to God, I just totally forgot the pen was in my bag."
"In the midst of them going through my bags, there were two cartridges. I'm just like, 'Oh my God. How did I make this mistake? How was I this absent-minded and made this huge mistake?'" she added. "I could just visualize everything I worked so hard for just crumbling and going away."
Professional athletes are often seen as superheroes who can do amazing things with their physiques and unique abilities. Score 38 points? Check. Grab 18 rebounds? I got you. Block 11 shots? No problem. However, Griner's mistake underscored what many usually forget: that elite athletes are still human, too.
"Have you ever forgotten your keys in your car and left your car running? Have you ever wondered, 'Where are my glasses?' and they're on top of your head? Where's my phone? Oh, it's in my pocket,'" she explained.
"It's just so easy to have a mental lapse. Granted, my mental lapse was on a much grander scale, but it doesn't take away from how that can happen."
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
