This Thursday, NBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to introducing drugs into Russia as part of the trial that finally began on July 1 after she was arrested last February at the Sheremetyevo international airport accused of ” large-scale smuggling.

Customs authorities maintain that vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, a marijuana concentrate, were found in his luggage. Although she has acknowledged that she did introduce this substance into the country, she insists that it was an accident because she packed her bags very quickly and it was overlooked.

His legal team, Maria Blagovolina of the Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin firm and Alexander Boykov of the Moscow Legal Center, have now applauded his decision to “take full responsibility for his actions” after discussing his strategy with them and listening to his professional advice. “Brittney is an example of courage,” they added in a public statement.

Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges in Russian Court

The basketball player faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison, but her lawyers hope that she can avoid a sentence that is too severe due to “the nature of her case”, the “insignificant amount” of drugs that were seized from her and her history of positive contributions to world and Russian sport.