Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and fined 1 million rubles, which is approximately $16,500, on Thursday.
The decision comes months after the Mercury star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July and was eligible for a penalty of up to 10 years in prison as a result. During sentencing, Russian prosecutors asked for Griner to receive 9 1/2 years in prison.
The U.S. has offered Russia a prisoner swap in order to bring Griner home, CNN reported in late July.
