Today marks the 100th day that Brittney Griner has been illegally detained in a Russian prison. During that time, Griner has received inconsistent consular access and has had her pretrial detention extended twice.

On Wednesday, Cherelle, Griner’s wife, sat down with Robin Roberts for an interview on Good Morning America. Cherelle stated that she has been in contact with the families of other U.S. citizens detained in Russia, and that their encouragement helped her to overcome any hesitancy she had to speak publicly about Griner’s case.

Trevor Reed, a U.S. Marine, was recently freed from a two-year detention in Russia, while Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, remains detained there. 

• [CHERELLE GRINER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT WIFE'S DETAINMENT]
• [NNEKA OGWUMIKE: “BRITTNEY GRINER IS OUR TEAMMATE, OUR FRIEND AND OUR SISTER”]

Cherelle conveyed appreciation for a call she received from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but appears to be measuring his assurance that Griner is a priority against action evincing such.

“You say she’s top priority, but I want to see it,” Cherelle said. “I feel like to see it would be me seeing BG on U.S. soil.”

Additionally, Cherelle called on President Joe Biden to act. “If they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it,” she said. Cherelle also acknowledged that she would like to meet with Biden in similar fashion to the meeting Reed's parents were granted prior to their son's release.

On Friday, WNBPA executive committee president Nneka Ogwumike and her Los Angeles Sparks teammate Katie Lou Samuelson used their postgame press conference to speak solely about Griner. Identifying Griner as “our teammate, our friend, and our sister,” Ogwumike cited the diversity of the league as the players’ “superpowers,” and acknowledged the world-changing realities of their collective actions.

Samuelson, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of teamwork and called on the sports world to stand with them in fighting for BG’s release. 

Samuelson said:

“To our sisters, brothers, and colleagues in professional sports: Sign the petition, and hold your own media blackouts, please. Help us reach the White House. … We need to stand up, and stand together, to call for her release.”

Here's how you can support Samuelson and all of the players in the WNBA in their attempt to get this message across:

CALL TO ACTION

#1. Copy/paste the following text into a tweet or post:

#BrittneyGriner has been unlawfully detained in Russia for 100 days. WNBA players are calling on the pro sports community to help them reach the @WhiteHouse. Will you SIGN THE PETITION and/or HOLD MEDIA BLACKOUTS? #WeAreBG change.org/WeAreBG 

#2. Tag or "@" your favorite athlete, team, or league, worldwide.

#3. Ask your friends, followers, and families to do the same. 

To "love" an athlete requires respecting their humanity first. Show your love for BG and take these actions in defense of her basic human rights. 

-TS