Ear Hustle

WNBA Suspends Newlyweds Brittney Griner And Glory Johnson For 7 Games Each After Their Domestic Dispute

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Photo Credit: Elaine Thompson/Associated Press; Matt York/Associated Press

The WNBA suspended Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner for seven games Friday for her role in a domestic dispute last month. Her wife, Tulsa Shock forward Glory Johnson, received the same punishment as a result of the incident.

The WNBA announced the decision on its official site, with President Laurel J. Richie saying in a statement the league conducted its own investigation into the matter while also reviewing the police report and talking with a group of experts on domestic violence.

It read: “With consideration of all the facts and circumstances of this matter, we are suspending Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson each without pay for a period of seven regular-season games. Brittney and Glory’s conduct is detrimental to the best interests of the WNBA and violates applicable law.”

She said the decision was based on facts gathered during the investigation, including details of what occurred in the couple’s house April 22, per the statement:

Brittney and Glory were involved in a physical altercation with each other at their home. It began when Glory pushed Brittney in the shoulder and Brittney pushed Glory in the back of the neck. The confrontation escalated to include wrestling, punches, and the throwing and swinging of various objects. Brittney received a bite wound on her finger and scratches on her wrist, and Glory received a scratch above her lip and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Griner reached a plea deal for disorderly conduct six days after the incident. She will spend 26 weeks in counseling for domestic violence. The WNBA statement notes Johnson’s case is still pending.

Shock president Steve Swetoha released a statement on the decision to suspend Johnson:

We appreciate the league’s due diligence in investigating and making a decision in this matter. As an organization we strongly agree with President Richie’s statement that there is no place for violence in our league, in our communities, or in society. We will continue to care for Glory’s well-being and look forward to her being in camp with our team.

Jeff Truesdell of People reported last Friday that the couple was married in a ceremony in the Phoenix area.

wnba player

Photo Credit: Googe

wnba player

The 2015 WNBA season is scheduled to kick off next month. Barring an appeal, Griner and Johnson will both miss the first seven games of their respective teams’ campaigns.

Griner is entering her third season in the league. Johnson will be playing her fourth.

Source: Bleacher Report

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