Brittney Griner is back in the WNBA and is making quite a ripple at the moment. Back in July, Griner had led the Atlanta Dream to break the Minnesota Lynx’s 14-game home win streak. And ever since her comeback, Griner has been constantly in the spotlight. Be it with her performance or having some tense interactions with the referee, the 34-year-old has attracted attention. However, unfortunately, with a political past bothering her, the WNBA veteran has faced significant heat from Ben Shapiro.
Political commentator Shapiro is well known for his unapologetic approach towards issues. Likewise, he has made the Phantom BC star his next target. Speaking about the controversial trade that saw the release of an arms dealer, Shapiro minced no words to lash out at the 34-year-old.
Ben Shapiro Puts Brittney Griner In His Line Of Fire
Now, to understand the context of Shapiro’s rage, a quick recap of the past needs to be put forth.. Back in December 2022, Russian authorities sentenced the current Dream star to nine years for cannabis possession. However, in order to trade her out of the country, the US went into a high-profile and controversial deal.
The US government agreed to release Viktor Bout, who allegedly conspired to kill US citizens for the release of Griner. Referencing the incident, Shapiro expressed his frustration about the entire incident. In a recent episode of ‘The Ben Shapiro Show,’ the host went off on the veteran hooper and used some strong words.
“That’s a Russian, isn’t it? She’s an American. I thought after she was left in Russia for long enough, then they would take her, but no. We traded an arms dealer to get this one out. Fact check: true,” said Shapiro (via Hardwood Heroics).
Won’t He do it. Our good sis, WNBA star, Brittney Griner has been released in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout. Drop some words of encouragement in the comments for Brittney. #WelcomeHome #BET #BETNews pic.twitter.com/2t5xpBEMbQ
— BET (@BET) December 8, 2022
Now, soon after the government finalized the trade, speculations and opinions began to flood in. While some appreciated the move, others expressed anger as they felt that the government caved to foreign pressure. Thankfully, all this outside noise has not affected Griner’s on-court form. And her coach, too, has shared words of praise for her efforts.
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Karl Smesko Applauds Brittney Griner’s Form Against Mercury
The 34-year-old returned from a neck injury to play against the Phoenix Mercury recently. And while she was on the court for just thirteen minutes, Griner had a lasting impact on the game. Playing alongside the likes of Rhyne Howard and Allisha Grey, the WNBA veteran had some impeccable defensive play. Quite naturally, HC Karl Smesko took great pleasure in her performance.
“I thought BG was great. She was moving great. She looked really good out there. Defensively, she was excellent… She was controlling the paint. I thought it was a really good first game back for her,” Smesko said in the postgame interview (Via YT/AtlantaDream).
And that was not all. Griner also chipped in with a couple of points and rebounds each to further make a strong case for herself. Now, despite Shapiro verbally attacking her, it remains important that Griner keeps her focus on the game. And as the playoffs come nearer, fans are eagerly waiting to see how the 34-year-old performs in the future.