Trevor Reed's release from Russian prison was met with applause and fanfare Wednesday, but raised questions and some outrage over the fate of American basketball star Brittney Griner.
The 31-year-old Griner was arrested in February after Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage at an airport near Moscow. She has been in Russian custody for a long time.
News of the U.S. Russia prisoner exchange that freed Reed, a 30-year-old former U.S. Marine from Texas, was met with mixed social media reactions.
I am so happy for Trevor Reed and his family! One Twitter user wrote that we need to do the same for Brittney Griner.
What is your opinion on Brittney Griner, tho? Another wrote.
Brittney Griner couldn't get in on the release? President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made statements on Wednesday praising Reed's release and vowing to bring home Americans wrongfully detained abroad. Both named the high-profile case of Paul Whelan, but did not mention Griner.
NBC News reached out to Griner's lawyers and representatives as well as the WNBA for comment.
In a briefing Wednesday, senior administration officials said they are very aware that there are other Americans held in Russia, adding that Whelan and Griner are very much in our minds today, even as we are so happy for Trevor Reed's news. The officials said that they will continue to work on an effort to find ways to address other cases as best we can.
Some social media users have noted that Griner is being held in Russia after being found with hash oil, while Reed was freed in exchange for convicted Russian drug trafficker Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving time in Connecticut.
It's really wild that BrittanyGriner is locked up over a vape pen and not one politician or athlete of prominence has spoken up, one social media user said.
Why is it so hard to get Brittany Griner home? The US just let a Russian drug lord go, you would think the marine and Brittany would have been a good trade for the US, another added.
Griner is accused of smuggling drugs, an offense that could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, Russian authorities said.
She was in jail for a month last month and was extended until May 19th. A person close to Griner's situation said in March she is doing OK and has seen her Russian legal team several times a week since her detention.
Griner, a 6 foot 9 athlete, has played center for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and has played in Russia for seven years.
She last played for her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on January 29 before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments.
She has also won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. a WNBA championship with the Mercury and a national championship in Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star.
Cherelle Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, has twice posted on Instagram about her detention.
My heart, my heart and my heart are always skipping beats every time that goes by. There is no word to express this pain. I am hurting, we are hurting, she wrote in her most recent post on March 7.