Brittney Griner was targeted by "inappropriate and unfortunate" actions of a "social media figure and provocateur" at the Dallas airport Saturday, the WNBA says.
It's unclear what incident the WNBA is referencing, but social media personality Alex Stein posted to Twitter Saturday, saying the WNBA was "[writing] press releases about me," along with a snippet of his personal interaction with Griner.
Stein was walking beside Griner and other members of the team in the airport when he asked Griner why she "hates" and "still want[s] to boycott" America.
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Security pushed Stein away, and then another member of the team called him "weird."
"I'm weird? Why? She hates America," Stein replied.
"What about the Merchant of Death, Brit?" asked Stein, referencing Viktor Bout, who the U.S. returned to Russia in exchange for returning Griner to the U.S. from a Russian prison.
Griner received criticism for previously kneeling for the national anthem, but upon returning to the WNBA this season, she had a change of heart, saying she "definitely [wanted] to stand."
"Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different," Griner said after her return. "It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up and the anthem is playing. It just hits different."
The Mercury franchise is "reviewing the incident."
WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER RETURNS TO HOME STATE OF TEXAS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE RUSSIAN DETAINMENT
"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," the team said in a statement. "We are committed to our support of BG and advocating for all American hostages abroad. 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."
"Prior to the season, the WNBA worked together with the Phoenix Mercury and BG's team to ensure her safety during her travel, which included charter flights for WNBA games and assigned security personnel with her at all times," the WNBA said. "We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for our players."
The Mercury played at Dallas against the Wings Friday night, losing 90-77 to drop to 1-5 on the season.
