Washington (AFP) – Brittney Griner — a world basketball great, Olympic legend and LGBT trailblazer — now faces losing the greatest years of her career in a Russian penal colony. The 31-year-old American was convicted Thursday by a Russian court on drugs charges and sentenced to nine years in prison, even as US officials declared she was being wrongfully detained and worked behind the scenes for her release. Griner is among only 11 players to have won an Olympic gold medal, WNBA title, Women’s Basketball World Cup crown and US college championship. She helped drive the US women’s national tea…