Canadian basketball star Kia Nurse says she is affected by the imprisonment of Brittney Griner every day and is carrying her WNBA teammate in her heart as Canada charge through the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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Canada and the USA are the only unbeaten teams after the first four days of the tournament and Nurse has performed strongly on her return from an ACL injury.
But coming back from almost a year on the sidelines has been bittersweet for Nurse, who is Griner's only Phoenix Mercury teammate playing at the World Cup in Sydney.
The pair featured in Phoenix's charge to the 2021 WNBA Finals before Griner travelled abroad for a stint with UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League.
On arrival, the American was arrested for possession of cannabis oil and sentenced to nine years in prison last month.
"I'm thinking about her every single day," Nurse told AAP.
"I'm thinking about her family.
"It won't be the same until she's back home. We'd probably be seeing her here (at the World Cup) in a US jersey as well."
It comes as WNBA players opt not to play in Russia during the off-season.
Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot are among the American players reportedly snubbing the Russian Premier League despite the lucrative contracts available while the WNBA is on hiatus.
The captain of the American team, Stewart takes to Twitter every day to call on US President Joe Biden to lobby for Griner's release. At the World Cup, the USA will not wear Griner's number 15.
"It was a really tough year not having BG in the locker room, just her spirit and her energy," Nurse said.
"You miss her on the court and what she's able to do but she's the best of the best when it comes to human beings.
"I miss her to bits."
Australian Associated Press
