NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave an update Tuesday on WNBA player Brittany Griner, who's been detained in Russia since February.

"Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, is on this issue every single day," Silver said. "I'm working side by side with her. We've been in touch with the White House, the State Department, hostage negotiators at every level of government, and also through the private sector as well. Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure she gets out of Russia."

RUSSIA BARS US EMBASSY FROM VISITING BRITTNEY GRINER

Silver also explained why he's been relatively silent so far.

"Part of our decision to not take a higher profile here frankly at the suggestion of experts in and out of government who thought the best path to getting Brittney out was not to amplify the issue," Silver said.

The NBA commissioner went on to encourage people to play their own role "through protest or letting their representatives know how strongly they feel about this."


"The league, and by that both the WNBA and its brother league NBA, we have a huge responsibility to Brittney Griner, one of our players," Silver said.

Russia has kept the U.S. Embassy in the country from visiting Griner on three separate occasions this month. The last the embassy heard from her was May 13. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly spoke to Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, to assure her that retrieving the athlete is a "top priority."

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Last week, Griner's lawyers announced her pretrial detention had been extended by one month. Griner's trial was originally slated for May 19.

She was detained by Russian officials at the Moscow airport on Feb. 17 after marijuana vape cartridges were allegedly found in her suitcase. She faces up to 10 years in prison.