Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie says she was told not to make a ‘big fuss’ over Brittney Griner situation

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“What we ended up informed, and yet again this is all sort of handed alongside by way of hearsay, but what we have been told was to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to discuss, in this circumstance in the war,” Leslie said in a clip of the interview released Friday. “So, to make it like it’s not that essential or really don’t make it in which we’re like, ‘Free Brittney’ and we start out this campaign, and then it turns into anything that they can use.”

Leslie, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2015, performed 12 seasons in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks, primary the team to championships in 2001 and 2002.

In her job, Leslie, a 6-foot-5 heart, was a three-time WNBA MVP and two-time WNBA Defensive Participant of the Year. Now 49, Leslie retired just after the 2009 year.

She also gained four Olympic gold medals and was a a few-time All-The usa in college or university.

US embassy in Moscow finds Brittney Griner 'in good condition' after getting consular access

Leslie did not say who the source of the facts was, and it was not clear no matter if she understood who to begin with shared the advice.

The full episode of the podcast is scheduled to be launched Monday. It is unclear when the episode was filmed.

According to Russian authorities, Griner was arrested on allegations of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance at a Moscow airport. Rep. Colin Allred of Texas mentioned she was arrested February 17.

An formal from the US embassy in Moscow discovered Griner to be “in fantastic ailment,” just after they were recently granted consular accessibility to the American athlete, US Point out Section spokesman Ned Price tag instructed CNN Wednesday.

CNN has also reached out to the Point out Division for comment but did not straight away hear back again.

Basketball star Brittney Griner is the latest American to be detained in Russia as supporters work desperately to free them

The WNBA declined to comment on the history when contacted by CNN.

College of South Carolina women’s basketball head mentor Dawn Staley explained she is praying for Griner and advocated for receiving all People out of Russia in an job interview with CNN.

“I pray each and every day for Brittney due to the fact I know her, I know her heart,” Staley reported. “And guess what? Brittney’s gonna manage this situation since as females we’re gonna uncover a way, we are gonna compartmentalize. No make a difference what she’s likely by means of, there is certainly a position in her coronary heart and her thoughts that will force her around the best to handle whichever she demands to tackle. … I imagine it can be for all of us to do what we need to do to get her out of it – get all Us residents out of Russia, with the quickness.”

Staley also reported she was conflicted on whether or not to communicate out on the circumstance or not.

“I will not know what to do mainly because they say if you converse out extra on it, you set her in a precarious condition. If you really don’t say everything, then what fantastic is that?”

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