‘She Hates America’: Right-Wing Troll Accosts Brittney Griner at the Airport

AP Photo/LM Otero

The WNBA put out a statement addressing an “inappropriate and unfortunate” incident that took place on Saturday when a far-right troll tried to harass Brittney Griner at an airport.

Alex Stein, known for filming videos of himself holding obnoxious confrontations with politicians and reporters, harassed Griner while she and her Phoenix Mercury teammates as they walked through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. While Stein has yet to release a full video of the encounter, he posted a clip on Twitter of himself harping about how Griner “hates America,” asking if she “still wants to boycott” the country, and yelling about the “Merchant of Death,” while he was being stopped by security.

The Mercury released a statement on the incident obtained by ESPN, saying they have placed the matter under review and “The health and well-being of our players and staff are our top priority and we will always take every step within our power to protect player safety.”

“We are committed to our support of BG and advocating for all American hostages abroad,” they said. “We will continue our support of marginalized communities and fighting the kind of hate that targeted us today. No one, regardless of identity, should ever fear for their safety. We will be coordinating with the WNBA on next steps.”

The WNBA also had a statement of their own, affirming their commitment to the security of the league’s players.

https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/166765188517896601

For nine months, Griner was imprisoned in Russia on drug trafficking charges after cannabis oil cartridges were found in her luggage. She was released as the result of a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, and Griner has talked about how the national anthem  “hits different” since regaining her freedom and returning to the U.S.