Khimki - (AFP) - American basketball player Brittney Griner said during her trial on Wednesday that she did not intend to smuggle drugs into Russia, and that she came to the country despite warnings from the United States not to let her Russian team down.

Greiner, a player for the Phoenix Mercury team, has been imprisoned since her arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February, when, according to the indictment, she was arrested with electronic cigarette packets filled with cannabis oil.

The Greiner case falls within the context of intense tensions between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine, and many observers believe that Russia is exploiting this issue in order to reach a future prisoner exchange with the United States.

The player had arrived in Russia in order to play during the American League's downtime, which is a common practice for female basketball players who sometimes earn more abroad than at home.

During the trial on Wednesday, Greiner, who is two meters and six centimeters tall, said she still did not know how the canisters ended up in her bag.

"I did not think or plan to bring banned substances into Russia. I did not intend to break Russian law," she said, noting that she "was in a rush to pack for travel" and that she had "no intention of using" a banned substance in Russia.

"I will not do anything that would harm my team," she added.
On July 7, Greener pleaded guilty and faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison.
The 31-year-old said she received permission from an American doctor to use medical cannabis to relieve pain from her many injuries, "from the spine to the cartilage".

"I was in a wheelchair for four months. I sprained my ankle," she said, noting that she used medical cannabis "only during rest periods and when there are no competitions (...) It helps me a lot."

Greener said she did not want to use other painkillers because they had "bad side effects".

She confirmed that she had arrived in Russia, although the US authorities had recommended not to travel to Moscow, and said that she would "never risk" the tournament.

And she added, "My career is my whole life. I dedicated everything, my body, and my time away from my family. I played with injuries. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my career."