A Russian prosecutor on Thursday asked a judge to sentence WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner to nine-and-a-half years in prison for drug charges, and the defense team in her trial said the judge was expected to hand down her sentence by evening. In seeking close to the 10-year maximum, the state’s request ignored the athlete’s plea of leniency. Griner pleaded guilty in July to carrying vape cartridges with cannabis oil into the country. The prosecutor’s call for a tough sentence for Griner — as well as a fine of 1 million rubles ($16,590) — came amid calls from the United States for Russia to seriously weigh its offer on a prisoner exchange to bring her home. A member of Griner’s legal team, Alexander Boikov, told the judge that Griner deserved to be acquitted despite her guilty plea, saying the prosecution had failed to prove criminal intent. In addition, he said, her rights were breached during the investigation and legal process. “We know that in Russia the laws regarding drugs are very strict,” Boikov said, “but Russia also cares about its prestige in sports.” Griner’s career, and her play for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team during the WNBA offseason, has been a celebration of friendship between people, he continued. “She had many offers, but she for some reason chose cold Yekaterinburg, knowing how warmly she would be received there." The prosecution contends that the 0.702 grams of cannabis found in the Griner’s luggage after she landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport in February was a “significant amount.” Griner testified last week that she was in a hurry when she packed, had no idea the items were in her bags and did not intend to break Russian law. The Phoenix Mercury star testified that she uses cannabis oil in the United States for treatment of chronic pain from injuries but knew that carrying cannabis into Russia was illegal. She said she flew to Russia despite U.S. State Department warnings about such travel because she did not want to let her Russian team down. —ROBYN DIXON & MARY ILYUSHINA, The Washington Post Follow @inkagnedotv . . . . #playoffs #losangeleslakers #basketballgames #girlsbasketball #nba #chrispaul #suns https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg1th6mOhhX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=