FEARS are growing that Vladimir Putin will use WNBA star Brittney Griner as a “high profile hostage” after her arrest in Moscow.

Griner, 31, was detained last month after the Russian Federal Customs Service allegedly found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport.

The seven-time WNBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury and twice Olympic gold medallist with the US had flown in to play for her Russian basketball team during the WNBA off-season.

There are fears Russia will use Griner as leverage with US-Russian relations deteriorating rapidly due to the Ukraine invasion by Putin’s troops.

Griner faces up to 10 years in prison, if found guilty of the drug smuggling charges.

“If we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms,” Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine Evelyn Farkas told Yahoo Sports. “It could be a prisoner swap. They also could use it as an implicit threat or blackmail to get us to do something or not do something. Either way, they find it useful.”

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Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said in a statement: “We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.

“As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”

Griner’s wife, Cherelle, took to social media Saturday to thank people for their prayers and good wishes.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me regarding my wife's safe return from Russia,” she wrote alongside a photo of her and Brittney. 

“Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life. I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely. Thank you!”

Politicians in Griner’s home state of Texas have also called for her release.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said Saturday she has spoken with the State Department to get the WNBA star released.

“We know that there were some issues dealing with vape cartridges and other items but let me be very clear,” Lee, who represents Griner's hometown of Houston, said. “Brittney Griner is a United States citizen, she was a guest in Russia… and I will be demanding her release.”

Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro said he would monitor the situation and said Griner must be safely returned. 

“I'm closely monitoring reports of Texan Brittney Griner's detention in Russia. This follows a pattern of Russia wrongly detaining & imprisoning US citizens, including Trevor Reed. US citizens are not political pawns. Brittney, Trevor, and other Americans must be safely returned,” he tweeted on Saturday.

A video was also released by the Customs Service which showed a traveller at the airport that appeared to look like Griner and was wearing a mask and black sweatshirt, going through security.

The footage was later shared on Telegram with the person putting her belongings through a scanner, with officials putting items in a plastic evidence envelope and sealing it shut as she looked on. 

“The customs inspection of hand luggage carried by a US citizen confirmed the presence of 'vapes' with a liquid with a specific smell, and an expert found that the liquid is a narcotic cannabis oil (hash oil),” according to the Russian customs service.

The State Department told The US Sun it was aware of the reports of a US person being arrested in Moscow.

A WNBA spokesperson said in a statement: "Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States."

USA Basketball said in a statement on Twitter: "USA Basketball is aware of and closely monitoring the legal situation facing Brittney Griner in Russia. Brittney has always handled herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball and her safety and wellbeing are our primary concerns."

The news comes as tensions escalate between the US and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

A number of WNBA players compete in Russia, where they can earn lucrative salaries, during the league’s off-season in the US.

Griner has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for several years.

Some American players began making plans to leave Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The few WNBA players who were competing this off-season in Ukraine are no longer in the country,” the WNBA told ESPN in a statement this week. “The league has also been in contact with WNBA players who are in Russia, either directly or through their agents. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

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