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Post by SamH on Mar 16, 2022 12:19:59 GMT
Interesting BBC article today: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60701050Must admit I haven't seen anything on ESPN or other sports pages, nor has it been discussed on PTI or Around the Horn. I only heard she was in trouble when my wife mentioned it (no doubt she'll have seen it from some god awful celebrity gossip site  ) It's a bit concerning that Russia are keeping captive quite a high profile American and especially that no one actually knows where she is or what's going on. I hope it will be resolved but with the conflict going on I'm not confident. |
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Post by milehigh on Mar 16, 2022 13:21:01 GMT
I read about this in "The Athletic" about a week ago. It is a worrying situation.
What is surprising is that WNBA players are allowed to play elsewhere during the off season.
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Post by hayesboy on Mar 16, 2022 13:34:01 GMT
The BBC article suggested they earn 5x in Russia what they earn in the WNBA.
I was ignorant of it until the BBC seem to be driving the story now.
Balance of probability is bad behaviour from the Russian authorities but I guess it is also possible she did something wrong......if so though why the secrecy?
Worrying for her and her family. Hopefully she is back in the US soon and serves as a stark reminder to all players about the risks involved in playing in autocratic states.
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Post by irf on Mar 16, 2022 13:46:13 GMT
Was speaking to a Football agent yesterday
FIFA are looking to bring in a rule allowing all non Russian players who are playing in the Russian League to become free agents and able to sign for a new club on free transfers
Lots of deals being lined up as a result
However, I guess the players need to be able to get out of the country for that to work!!
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Post by A tall man on Mar 16, 2022 21:32:40 GMT
Worrying she seems to have disappeared but when espn announced it weeks ago it was clear she was caught with drugs at the airport.
A stupid move at the best of times, magnified by what's going on.
I hope she is safe but drug smuggling is still drug smuggling if true
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Post by hayesboy on Mar 16, 2022 21:38:05 GMT
That’s the issue isn’t it. If this happened in Spain, France, Germany etc the outrage would be she had drugs and nobody would doubt it as they are democracies…..but it’s Russia so you have to question everything.
Did she really have drugs with her? Even if she is tried and convicted we can never be sure.
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Post by SamH on Mar 17, 2022 11:29:15 GMT
I read that it wasn't drugs as such, but cannabis resin found in some other product she was carrying - it didn't sound that bad anyway, its not like she had packets of hard drugs on her. So to get locked up indefinitely for that? I dont think she would have been in those other countries, it seems over-zealous to me.
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Post by LTfan on Mar 17, 2022 15:27:26 GMT
It's concerning this has happened. And concerning how little media attention it's getting.
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Post by SamH on Mar 17, 2022 16:06:35 GMT
Im amazed that they can earn 5x the salary in Russia, that doesn't seem right. I'm not sure exactly but I thought the average WNBA salary was about $100k and I assume Griner was on more than that - sure, it's not NBA type money but for essentially half the year it's not exactly bad either, easily enough to live off and then she'd have endorsements and commercial revenue on top. So I was surprised she'd need to play abroad the rest of the year but also, are we really to believe that Russian basketball pays the WNBA players around the half a million dollar mark? Surely not.
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Post by A tall man on Mar 17, 2022 16:33:42 GMT
They do, women's basketball over there is huge, several countries pay top women way more than a bbl roster earns, let alone a player
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Post by SamH on Mar 17, 2022 17:23:28 GMT
So that begs the question, why are WNBA salaries lower? I always assumed the WNBA is like the NBA, in that the best players in the world go there and thus expect to earn the best salaries. I know there have been a handful of NBA players who found they could earn more money overseas, but it's pretty rare. If Russia and wherever else is paying 5x WNBA, then I am surprised the WNBA is even able to attract the top talent.
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Post by A tall man on Mar 17, 2022 18:09:13 GMT
People watch womens basketball in Russia, they don't in America. Wnba will always struggle being played in summer too
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Post by SamH on Mar 17, 2022 19:16:25 GMT
Well thats certainly come as a surprise but every day's a school day! Makes you wonder why someone like Griner would bother at all with the WNBA if she can earn half a million a year abroad.
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Post by A tall man on Mar 17, 2022 19:56:26 GMT
I've always wondered too. I imagine it's probably them trying to grow the league or maybe the only way to get to play for team USA? Baffles me though, I certainly wouldn't
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Post by hayesboy on Mar 18, 2022 7:50:07 GMT
I suspect the reason they double up is they can. The salary of a WNBA star is way above a "normal" job but not so much that you would turn down the opportunity to massively boost your earnings. Seems like she has been playing there for many years now. I guess there is an element of complacency and forgetting the possible risks at times when relations between Russia and the West become so tense?
The Russians are now saying that she was in possession of a significant amount of narcotics. Other reports seem to suggest it was more likely a product that might contain something. I suspect if its even remotely true then it was probably the latter and almost certainly something she has probably travelled with before.
You cannot believe a word the Russian authorities say and it looks like she will be held there for at least a couple of more months now.
I've not researched it but you have to wonder......are any Americans still playing in Russia?
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Post by SamH on Dec 13, 2022 1:54:32 GMT
Great to see she's been released and has had her first practice session back in the US already!
Not sure about the SOB they traded her for, I mean anyone nicknamed "the merchant of death" probably shouldn't be getting released on any grounds, but sounds like Biden's options were limited.
Hopefully Griner can make a full return to the WNBA next season and go on to do more great things, completing an amazing story.
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Post by tallerman on Dec 13, 2022 10:18:48 GMT
I worry for her mental health after such a tough experience, but you’re spit on Sam, they shouldn’t have released that man for her
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Post by tony on Dec 16, 2022 20:44:27 GMT
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) It's a bit concerning that Russia are keeping captive quite a high profile American and especially that no one actually knows where she is or what's going on. I hope it will be resolved but with the conflict going on I'm not confident. 
