Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury as a center and has played basketball in Russia for the past seven years. The basketball player is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who won a WNBA championship with the Mercury and is a seven-time All-Star athlete.

U.S. Congressman Colin Allred said he hopes Griner is not being used as a political bargaining chip during the Russian-Ukraine conflict, as the Biden administration has implemented economic sanctions against Russia, TMZ reports.

“Right now, we want to see her treated normally,” Allred. said, according to TMZ. “As anyone else would be and come home as soon as possible.”

“We have to make sure that she’s treated as anyone else would be and she’s not a symbol or a hostage or anything like that,” he continued.

Brittney-Griner

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