WNBA Brittney Griner

Russian basketball teammates testify in court about Brittney Griner's character

UMMC Ekaterinburg team captain Evgeniya Belyakova told the court that the team misses Griner and her energy.

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Team director Maksim Ryabkov said Griner played a "huge role" in the team

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On July 14th was Griner's first court appearance after her surprise decision to plead guilty to drug charges last week.

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Russian authorities took the Brittney Griner into custody in February

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The authorities said they found vaping catridges contains less than a gram of hashish oil, which is against the law in Russia.

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Griner pleaded guilty to the charges last week, hoping for leniency from the court

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Griner could face as many as 10 years in prison on the charges

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In May, the U.S. State Department reclassified Griner's case as a "wrongful detention"

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But the White House has not yet said whether it's considering a possible prisoner exchange to secure her release

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