Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury looks on against the Seattle Storm during the first quarter at Climate Pledge Arena on June 24, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
*Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner is speaking out about being harassed by YouTuber Alex Stein at the Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport on June 10.
Stein followed Griner and several of her teammates and asked questions about her Russian imprisonment including whether she had sex with Vladimir Putin to get released. One of Griner’s teammates is heard calling him “weird.”
Stein was pushed away by Mercury security but continued to follow the players (watch the Twitter clip below).
Speaking with the media on Monday, Griner called the incident a “rock bottom” moment.
Since the @WNBA is writing press releases about me…here is a snippet of my interaction with Brittney Griner today….
Watch the Full Video on my YouTube Channel Sunday Morning 10am Centralhttps://t.co/fe07WOHjct pic.twitter.com/FEnp8Vll6d
— Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) June 10, 2023
“I think we should have already had the option to use a different airline, a more private airline, charter flights,” Griner said.
“It’s a shame that it had to get to rock bottom, because I feel like waiting for something to happen and then making a change … you don’t know what that ‘something’s’ going to be. We’ve all seen what can happen in this world, and when you play the ‘let’s-wait-and-see game,’ you’re really playing with fire. You’re playing with people’s lives,” Griner continued.
“So I’m glad that they finally got it together — and, you know, are going to allow us to do this. It’s just a shame that it took so damn long, honestly.”
Mercury player Brianna Turner said in a tweet that several people at the airport followed them with cameras and hurled “wild remarks.” She called it “Excessive harassment.”
Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better,” Turner tweeted.
Player safety while traveling should be at the forefront. People following with cameras saying wild remarks is never acceptable. Excessive harassment. Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better.
— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) June 10, 2023
As Fox 10 Phoenix reports, the WNBA players’ union issued a statement saying: “What BG and all of her PHX teammates experienced today was a calculated confrontation that left them feeling very unsafe. Everyone who was paying attention knew this would happen.”
The Mercury released a statement saying: “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.”
READ MORE: Brittney Griner Harassed by Conservative Social Media ‘Provocateur’ At Dallas Airport | WATCH
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