Fans of the WNBA star are in disbelief as word spreads that a Russian court has sentenced US basketball playerBrittney Griner to nine years in prison for violating drug charges.

The double Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury player admitted to owning cannabis oil after it was discovered in vape cartridges in her luggage at a nearby airport to Moscow. She reportedly admitted to making "an honest mistake" in court.

Glory Johnson, a fellow WNBA player and Griner's ex-wife, commented on the situation on Instagram.

"I've REALLY struggled this past week trying to find the words to express how I feel about all this coming out w/o breaking emotionally or overstepping," she captioned a picture of her with Griner.

She clarified a couple of things happening since Griner's sentence was made official by saying "most Insensitive & Ignorant people will look at this and run to me maliciously judging Brittney for her actions, waiting for me to add insult to injury."

"Brittney has a Beautiful Soul and sometimes makes rash decisions. I know," she says as she confirmed her undying support for her ex.

Who is Glory Johnson?

Glory Johnson was born on July 27, 1990. The Tulsa Shock made her their first-round pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. She is a forward.

In 2016 and 2019, she renewed her contract with the Dallas Wings, formerly known as the Shock. Johnson joined the Atlanta Dream in 2020 as a free agent.

Johnson's parents, Mercy Bassey Johnson and Bassey Johnson Udofot, raised him in Knoxville, Tennessee, after his birth in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The basketball player's daughters are twins.

She attended Webb High School for her senior year before moving to Tennessee to attend college. The 6-foot-3 forward reached 2,000 career points on September 16 and was named an All-Star in 2013 and 2014.

Johnson and Griner wed in May 2015, and on June 4, 2015, Johnson announced her pregnancy.

The following day, Griner requested an annulment. Griner claimed in the annulment petition that she had married under duress and had no involvement with the IVF procedure. She later acknowledged her involvement in a revised filing, but only after feeling compelled to do so.

Johnson disputed Griner's assertions and provided Cosmopolitan with a video of her and Griner joking about their future offspring at a fertility clinic. 2016 saw the couple's divorce after the annulment request was rejected.