Griner’s detention in Moscow extended by another month

WNBA star Brittney Griner had her pre-trial detention in Russia extended by one month Friday, her lawyer said.

Alexander Boykov told The Associated Press he thinks the relatively short extension indicates Griner’s case would go to trial soon. The 31-year-old American basketball player has been in custody for nearly three months.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Moscow airport in February after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage. She faces drug smuggling charges that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Griner appeared for the brief hearing at a court outside Moscow handcuffed, wearing an orange hoodie and holding her face down. She did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions,” Boykov said.

AARON DOSTER / ASSOCIATED PRESS Defensive back Tycen Anderson, a fifth-round draft pick from Toledo, goes through drills at the Bengals’ one-day rookie minicamp Friday in Cincinnati.

ASSOCIATED PRESS WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing Friday outside Moscow.