Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for 250 days as of Tuesday.

While a U.S. official on Tuesday called the handling of the WNBA star’s judicial case “a sham,” Griner’s supporters still were left disheartened by a Russian court’s decision to reject the appeal of her nine-year sentence for drug possession.

“This appeal is further verification that BG is not just wrongfully detained,” the WNBA Players Association said in a statement. “She is very clearly a hostage.”

The Phoenix Mercury center was arrested in February at a Moscow-area airport while trying to join her Russian club, UMMC Ekaterinburg. She was accused of having less than a gram of cannabis in her possession; in Russia, possession of less than six grams of cannabis is supposed to garner no more than a fine or up to 15 days in jail.

More than eight months later, Griner remains in detention in Russia. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony in August, close to the maximum sentence of 10 years, but she had appealed the decision.

“The verdict contains numerous defects and we hoped that the court of appeal would take them into consideration,” Griner’s lawyers said. “We still think the punishment is excessive and contradicts the existing court practice.”

The results of both her original case and the appeal, though, remain in line with expectations. In Russia, 99 percent of court cases result in a conviction, and U.S. officials have said that Griner’s case, in particular, was nothing more than a “show trial” with a “predetermined” outcome.

“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement Tuesday. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately.”

The U.S. government is working to free Griner and fellow American detainee Paul Whelan. The Biden administration has proposed a prisoner swap with Russia, but officials do not expect significant movement from Russia until after the U.S. elections in November.

The WNBPA applauded Griner for her “courage and integrity” over the last 250 days and called on the public to rally around the Mercury center.

“No athlete should be used as a political pawn,” the WNBPA said in its statement.

WNBPA Statement Regarding Brittney Griner's Appeal and a Call to Action.#WeAreBG#BringBGHome pic.twitter.com/lpUyYtfyxC

— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) October 25, 2022

WNBA players also took to social media Tuesday to express their support for Griner.

“It is time for her to come home,” tweeted Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, who has posted daily about Griner’s plight.

It has been 250 days since our friend, Brittney Griner, has been wrongfully detained in Russia. It is time for her to come home. @WhiteHouse @potus @vp , we are paying attention and we are counting on you. #WeAreBG

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) October 25, 2022

“My heart breaks for BG,” wrote Aisha Sheppard, who won the WNBA championship this season with the Las Vegas Aces.

Dallas Wings rookie Veronica Burton called the rejection of Griner’s appeal “horrible news to wake up to,” while Washington Mystics star Natasha Cloud wrote: “I’m sick about BG.”

Kia Nurse, one of Griner’s Mercury teammates, echoed the calls to “bring her home.”

“My heart goes out to BG and her loved ones,” Nurse wrote. “We love you and we miss you.”

my heart goes out to BG and her loved ones. We love you and we miss you. Bring her home 🖤 #WeAreBG

— Kia Nurse (@KayNurse11) October 25, 2022

Former WNBA player and current South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley also expressed her continued support for Griner in the face of the “expected bad news.”

#FreeBrittneyGriner 250 days and more expected bad news with the upholding of @brittneygriner sentence. I’m a firm believer in God and will lean in stronger. On our worse day he does he best work. Love you BG. HOLD ON! #WeAreBG pic.twitter.com/V3JQShI8Ja

— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) October 25, 2022

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.