Russian Court Extends Brittney Griner’s Detention Until May

A Russian court extended the detention of American basketball star Brittney Griner until May 19, Russian state news agency TASS reported Thursday. 

Griner was detained by Russian authorities in February for allegedly possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil, a type of cannabis oil. Griner’s detention raised concerns in the U.S. that Russia was using her as a political pawn during its invasion of Ukraine. Griner, a seven-time All-Star, plays for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury but also competes in other countries.

Coverage was widespread and mostly balanced across the spectrum on Thursday, likely boosted by the media’s sustained focus on Russia and Ukraine. Coverage generally framed Griner’s detention negatively; one BBC News (Center bias) headline called it “troubling.” Coverage tended to describe TASS as “Russian state media,” although some outlets like Fox News (Right) and Reuters (Center) simply described it as a “Russian news agency.”