Griner appears in court, pleads guilty in Russia drugs trial

MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drug possession during her trial in Moscow but said she had no intention of committing a crime. Representatives for Griner confirmed to The Associated Press that the WNBA star pleaded guilty to drug possession charges. Russian news reports quoted Griner as saying through an interpreter at the court hearing Thursday that she had acted unintentionally because she was packing in haste. Griner was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil allegedly were found in her luggage. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs. A U.S. Embassy official handed Griner a letter from President Joe Biden.