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Outside the courthouse, Elizabeth Rood, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, called the excessive sentence a "miscarriage of justice."

President Biden described Griner's sentence as "unacceptable" and pledging to "work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue" to bring her home.

"I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates," Biden added.

The guilty verdict and a long sentence were expected by Russian experts and diplomats. These outcomes give Russia the most leverage with the Biden administration. And Biden is facing mounting pressure to bring the basketball star home to her wife and family.

Last Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to accept the “substantial proposal” submitted by the US trade Griner and Paul Whelan for a Russian arms dealer with high-level military and government connections. 

Viktor Bout is currently serving a 25-year sentence in an Illinois federal prison. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 for selling weapons to terrorists conspiring to kill Americans. He was extradited to the US in 2010. And his sentence started in 2011.

Russian legal expert Jamison Firestone said prior to Griner’s conviction, "“They are going to give her a lot of time. Then they are going to trade her.”