WNBA

Griner's attorney was quoted by Russian news agencies on Monday as saying the appeal was filed, but the grounds of the appeal were not immediately clear.

The ruling came nearly six months after Griner was detained. Russia has indicated that any potential deal or prisoner swap to secure her release would have to wait until after a verdict in her case.

The star WNBA player has been jailed in Russia since cannabis oil was found in her luggage at an airport security check in February. Her fans in Phoenix are helping to keep her memory alive.

Bout is a Russian who was the world's most notorious arms dealer in the 1990s and early 2000s. He's serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois, but could be freed as part of a U.S.-Russia swap.

The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

The WNBA star took the stand in Russian court Wednesday to explain why she had vape cartridges in the first place, how they ended up in her luggage and what happened after they were discovered.

A lawyer for the WNBA star at her drug possession trial in Russia gave the court a U.S. doctor's letter recommending she use medical cannabis to treat pain. Medical marijuana is not legal in Russia.

Griner appeared moved by the testimony of her friends, tearing up repeatedly during Thursday's proceedings. Her longtime team doctor added that Griner has never failed a drug test.

The White House said President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner on Wednesday, as more of the WNBA star's supporters publicly petition him to do more to secure her release.

The star with the U.S. Olympic and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury was bracketed by four security officers and a dog as she was led down a stairwell to a courtroom for Monday's hearing.