Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges in Russian Court

WNBA star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court and could face prison time if convicted.

While making her plea during her trial’s second hearing on July 7, the basketball player said she had not acted deliberately, Reuters reported.

According to the news wire, which had a journalist present, Brittney said, “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”

She reportedly added, “I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare.”

The athlete, who plays for a Russian basketball team during the WNBA’s off-season, was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She is charged with smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors or analogues, and with illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, manufacture, processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues.