12:25 PM PT -- Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, was just asked about Griner's detainment during her daily press briefing ... but said she couldn't address the specific situation because of privacy concerns.
Psaki did say the White House was aware of the reports ... but pointed reporters to the U.S. State Department.
Brittney Griner's wife says she's completely heartbroken over her wife's detainment in Russia ... saying in an emotional social media post, "My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats everyday that goes by without hearing from you."
Griner has reportedly been kept in Russia the past few weeks after she was allegedly caught with vape cartridges in her bag while traveling through an airport.
Communication between Griner and her family has apparently been few and far between since she was taken into custody ... and Cherelle Griner said Monday morning it's all been excruciating.
"There are no words to express this pain," Cherelle said. "I'm hurting, we're hurting. We await the day to love on you as a family."
Cherelle added that she's having trouble doing anything without wondering if the WNBA star is safe.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to get into specifics of the Griner case on Sunday ... but he said any citizen who is being held in a foreign country will get assistance.
"Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world," Blinken said, "we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance."
He added, "We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia. We're doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected."
Griner has deep ties to Russia ... after playing there for several years during the WNBA offseasons.