MOSCOW - Brittney Griner spent her 32nd birthday in a Russian prison, awaiting an appeal to her nine-year sentence for drug possession that’s set for next week.The WNBA star has been especially down lately, according to her lawyers.
They were with her for part of her birthday on Oct. 18.Maria Blagovolina, a partner at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin, said it wasn’t much of a celebration, but that Griner’s attorneys passed along well wishes from family and friends."She did smile, it was really good to see her smiling," Blagovolina wrote in an email to The Associated Press.Griner later released a statement through her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas."Thank you everyone for fighting so hard to get me home.
All the support and love are definitely helping me," Griner said.Griner’s appeal hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
While it’s unlikely the appeal will overturn her conviction, her lawyers hope it could lessen the sentence."We hope the term of the sentence will be reduced," Blagovolina said.MORE: Brittney Griner's lawyer says WNBA star fears she may never be released from Russian prisonGriner was convicted Aug.