Despite Brittney Griner's Nightmare saga, Americans will still play basketball in Russia
At least 32 Americans have signed up to play in Russia's top basketball league this season despite Brittney Griner's harrowing experience, according to USA TODAY.
Griner had been playing for Russia's UMMC Yekaterinburg for seven years during the WNBA's offseason when she was arrested at a Moscow airport a week before Russia invaded the Ukraine. Griner admitted that she was carrying a tiny amount of cannabis oil in her suitcase which she forgot to remove before her return trip to Moscow. In August Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.
Russian roulette?Most players still willing to take the risk are lesser-known names, says USA Today, the most recognizable being James Ennis, who played for 10 NBA teams.
Only one woman
Unique Thompson, who joined the Indiana Fever as the 19th draft pick in 2021 before agreeing to a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings, said she would play in Russian. Her agent said Thompson "supports Brittney," but felt playing in Russia gave her the best chance to "get back in the WNBA." A veteran agent described USA TODAY's decision as "playing Russian roulette, no pun intended."
Boycott of Russian basketball leaguesAs more and more information is released about athletes signing up for the new season in Russia's top basketball leagues, calls to boycott them grow .
Do the Russian oligarchs appreciate women's basketball more than we do?Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, along with some 70 other WNBA players have supplemented their relatively meager earnings by playing in Russia over the years. year. Most of them were lured to play in Russia for annual salaries up to five times what they earn in the WNBA.
By the way, the vast majority of Russian basketball teams are owned by Russian billionaire oligarchs.
"Russia was so far ahead of the United States in terms of paying female basketball players, because attracting foreign - and especially Western - talent is a matter of national prestige for Russia," Stanislav Markus, a business professor at the University of South Carolina who studies oligarchs, told the NY Times.
"Until the recent geopolitical standoff, it was tacitly encouraged by the state and generously funded by the oligarchs who often own the teams."
Photo: Blende12 by Pixabay and Wiki Commons
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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At least 32 Americans have signed up to play in Russia's top basketball league this season despite Brittney Griner's harrowing experience, according to USA TODAY.
Griner had been playing for Russia's UMMC Yekaterinburg for seven years during the WNBA's offseason when she was arrested at a Moscow airport a week before Russia invaded the Ukraine. Griner admitted that she was carrying a tiny amount of cannabis oil in her suitcase which she forgot to remove before her return trip to Moscow. In August Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.
Russian roulette?Most players still willing to take the risk are lesser-known names, says USA Today, the most recognizable being James Ennis, who played for 10 NBA teams.
Only one woman
Unique Thompson, who joined the Indiana Fever as the 19th draft pick in 2021 before agreeing to a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings, said she would play in Russian. Her agent said Thompson "supports Brittney," but felt playing in Russia gave her the best chance to "get back in the WNBA." A veteran agent described USA TODAY's decision as "playing Russian roulette, no pun intended."
Boycott of Russian basketball leaguesAs more and more information is released about athletes signing up for the new season in Russia's top basketball leagues, calls to boycott them grow .
Do the Russian oligarchs appreciate women's basketball more than we do?Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, along with some 70 other WNBA players have supplemented their relatively meager earnings by playing in Russia over the years. year. Most of them were lured to play in Russia for annual salaries up to five times what they earn in the WNBA.
By the way, the vast majority of Russian basketball teams are owned by Russian billionaire oligarchs.
"Russia was so far ahead of the United States in terms of paying female basketball players, because attracting foreign - and especially Western - talent is a matter of national prestige for Russia," Stanislav Markus, a business professor at the University of South Carolina who studies oligarchs, told the NY Times.
"Until the recent geopolitical standoff, it was tacitly encouraged by the state and generously funded by the oligarchs who often own the teams."
Photo: Blende12 by Pixabay and Wiki Commons
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
CANNABIS BENZINGA CONFERENCEMeet the biggest players in the cannabis industry and strike deals that will drive the industry forward.
Featuring live company presentations, insider panels and unparalleled access to networking, the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is where cannabis executives and entrepreneurs meet .
Join us September 13-14, 2022 at The Palmer House in Chicago, IL.
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