Sports

WNBA’s Johnson: Didn’t Expect Arrest After Griner Fight

Published

8 years ago

May 27, 2015

In this May 17, 2013, file photo, Tulsa Shock’s Glory Johnson pauses during the team’s preseason WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm in Seattle. Johnson had no idea her fight with Brittney Griner would become such a big deal. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Glory Johnson had no idea her fight with then-fiancee Brittney Griner would become such a big deal.

After the WNBA All-Stars stars battled so fiercely at their home that police were called, the now-married couple immediately began working through their problems together.

“We fought, we hashed it out, we talked it out, we were like, ‘Did we really just do that?'” Johnson told The Associated Press Tuesday. “Then we hugged, and we were like, ‘OK, the cops are coming.'”

The WNBA said Johnson pushed Griner in the shoulder, and Griner responded by pushing Johnson in the back of the neck. The April 22 confrontation included wrestling, punches and the throwing and swinging of objects. Griner had a bite wound on her finger and scratches on her wrist, while Johnson was scratched above her lip and diagnosed with a concussion.

Both were arrested, which surprised Johnson.

“The police said they have no idea who was the victim,” the Tulsa Shock forward said. “They had no idea. It surprised me, but I can’t control how people take it, I can’t control how people handle it, I can only control what I do from here on out.”

Johnson said multiple triggers led to the dispute with Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury.

“We know how we care about each other, and we fought out of that,” she said. “A lot of it was passion. We fought because we were mad that this person felt like this, or this person said this.”

The league suspended them for seven games each — just over a fifth of the season — without pay. Johnson is appealing her suspension, and said her lawyer is ready if further action is needed.

“Do I think it was a little much? Yes,” Johnson said. “Especially because of the way we are and the way we handled it.”

The league’s decision is significant for both teams.

Griner is the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Mercury win the WNBA title last season. Johnson is a two-time All-Star for the Shock. Griner will be out until Phoenix’s game against Minnesota on June 27. If Johnson’s suspension stands, her first game back would be June 26 against New York.

Despite what Johnson called “one of the toughest months I’ve ever experienced,” she said she never reconsidered her plans to marry Griner. Their wedding went on as planned a few weeks after the fight.

“I never had any second thoughts,” she said. “Even though it was a situation that had never happened to me before, in any relationship that I’ve had, it was almost like, ‘OK, I partook in the situation, too, and I did fight as well.'”

Johnson said she has seen where some question why she remains in the relationship.

“If it’s something that I can work through, or it’s even something that I was a part of, you’ve got to take responsibility and either decide you want to move forward with the person that you care so much about or not, and I care a lot about this person, and it was my decision to move forward, and she did the same.”

Johnson said she understands the significance of domestic violence.

“I don’t want anyone to have to deal with that situation, any of my sisters, or even any of my teammates to deal with a situation like that,” she said. “I’d probably tell them to leave, but if they were like, ‘Man, but we’ve been through so much, and we care about each other more than just this one incident,’ then there’s more pros than cons.”

The Mercury play the Shock on July 2 in Phoenix. Griner and Johnson have faced each other before — both are post players in the league’s Western Conference. Johnson said the matchups this season will be intense, as usual.

“We’re very competitive,” she said. “It might even look like we’re going at each other. But afterward, we’re like, ‘Where do you want to go eat?'”

Johnson said the couple’s relationship is on solid ground, and added that people who judge it based on the fight “have to be realistic.”

“We still feel the same,” she said. “If anything, it brought us a little bit closer.”

___

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

Up Next

Rockets’ Howard Won’t be Suspended for Game 5 vs Warriors

Don't Miss

1st Known All-Girls Tackle Football League Formed in Utah

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Bay Area

New Women’s Pro Soccer Team Coming to Bay Area

Former U.S. Women’s National Team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner announced Tuesday that the National Women’s Soccer League has awarded expansion rights to their group. The team, which has not yet announced a name or home stadium, will start playing in the league in 2024.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2023

Oakland Post

Leslie Osborne had 62 caps for the USWNT and played in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China where the U.S. took third place in the tournament. Osborne played professionally for nine seasons and was team captain on all of her professional teams in the WPS and NWSL. (Allison+Partners via Bay City News)

By Bay City News

A new professional women’s soccer team is coming to the Bay Area.

The four soccer stars, who all have Bay Area ties including each hailing from Santa Clara University, spoke Tuesday about their efforts to bring a pro women’s team to the region starting nearly three years ago following the announcement of another NWSL expansion team, Angel City Football Club in Los Angeles.

“LA is doing this, why aren’t we doing it?” Osborne said the women were asking themselves as the group got to work to bring a team to the Bay Area.

The new team’s majority investor is Sixth Street, an investment firm with stakes in European soccer clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as well as the pro basketball team the San Antonio Spurs.

Chastain, who scored an iconic game-winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup final for the U.S. over China, said “it is a different time” now in women’s sports compared to her playing days, citing the high ratings and interest for the recent NCAA women’s college basketball championship. She said the Bay Area is the perfect place to help the sport grow even more.

“We here in the Bay Area are innovators, we’re thinkers, we’re creators,” Chastain said. “The Bay is where champions come to play, that is our call to action.”

Other members of the team’s board include Sheryl Sandberg, tech executive and founder of LeanIn.org, Rick Welts, who most recently served as president of the Golden State Warriors, and Staci Slaughter, former executive vice president for the San Francisco Giants.

More details about the team can be found on its website at https://nwsltothebay.com/.

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Bay Area

Town Parade Celebrates Oakland High and Oakland Tech Basketball Champions

Oakland’s pride was at an all-time high on Sunday afternoon as the basketball state champions of Oakland High and Oakland Tech paraded from Children’s Fairyland to downtown City Hall at Oscar Grant Plaza April 16. The parade celebrated the girls’ basketball team of Oakland Tech, winners of the state championship for 3 years in a row and Oakland High making history by taking the state championship for the first time.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2023

Oakland Post

The festivities unfolded in full force on the steps of Oakland City Hall as confetti blew through the air and photographers and videographers captured the excitement and happiness of the students. Special guest MC's featured Dr. Delores Thompson, a proud Oakland High graduate who said she also attended summer school at Oakland Tech, and Jonathan Piper II of King Makers of Oakland.

By Carla Thomas

On a double decker bus, team members danced and waved as they were transported through the city circling Lake Merritt. Onlookers honked and clapped in support as team cheerleaders waved pom poms. Once arriving at Oakland City Hall, the students were greeted with a decorated plaza of arching balloons of white, purple and gold for the Oakland Tech “Lady” Bulldogs and blue and white for the Oakland High Wildcats.

The festivities unfolded in full force on the steps of Oakland City Hall as confetti blew through the air and photographers and videographers captured the excitement and happiness of the students.

Special guest MC’s featured Dr. Delores Thompson, a proud Oakland High graduate who said she also attended summer school at Oakland Tech, and Jonathan Piper II of King Makers of Oakland.

Nancy Skinner said, “I’m especially proud of the Wildcats and Lady Bulldogs. “Will celebrate your success at the state Capitol.”

Mia Bonta led audience with a cheer: “Hold up wait a minute, let us put some O. High in it. Hold up wait a minute, let us put some Oakland Tech in it. Hold up wait a minute, let us put some Oakland in it.”

Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson Trammell, a self-proclaimed ’80s baby from Oakland expressed her appreciation for the students.

“Congrats to the dynasty at Tech and a dynasty emerging at Oakland High,” said Trammell. “Our students are scholarly athletes and role models on the court and off.”

Oakland Unified School District Board of Education president Mike Hutchinson encouraged the winning team members to reflect and embrace their contributions to Oakland’s legacy. “Thanks for all your hard work,” he said.

Bart Board Director and Congressional seat candidate Lateefah Simon spoke of the state champions as “the best in the state. The very best in the Bay Area … I’m so proud, thankful and humbled to be in the presence of young geniuses and the best ballers in the state,” she said.

Representatives of Oakland City Council addressed the teams at the rally.

District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife said, “Today you are my heroes, and you are an example of what Oakland truly is. You are exactly what we all need more of in our city.”

District 4 City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran said, “We need to learn from you and the lessons of teamwork and resilience.”

District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid said she proudly represents deep East Oakland. “Thank you for putting some respect on Oakland, we got your back,” she said.

District 2 City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas all congratulated the teams. “When you fight and practice, you win,” she said.

District 1 City Councilmember Dan Kalb was proud that the Oakland Tech Bulldogs were in his district.

District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo said his three daughters graduated from Oakland High and went on to Stanford University and UC Berkeley. “At one time Oakland was the 5th largest market for athletes in the U.S., so I know these teams will go on to do great things,” he said. “Congrats on your accomplishments.”

Medals & certificates of honor were presented to each team member by California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, California State Senator Nancy Skinner and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. Each athlete posed for a group photo with the elected officials and were cheered on as they returned to their seat.

“You are special on and off the court, and we love you,” said Thao.

Thao also gave a special shout out to event organizer, Oakland Tech Parent Teacher Student Association Vice President Dunia Wilder and the “unsung heroes” behind the scenes. “Thank you, Dunia, Myra, Brooklyn, and Vice Mayor Kimberly, for making this event happen.”

Bay Area

Kareem Jabbar Brings Books to Oakland and Tech Champs

Published

2 months ago

April 4, 2023

Oakland Post

Tony Thurmond, State Supt., Mayor Sheng Thao, OUSD Supt. encourage Athletes to score Academically too.

Oakland Tech’s Girls Basketball team and the Oakland High Boys team received major support and recognition for being on top of California’s High School sports world from the State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Superintendent and members of the Board of Directors of the Oakland Unified School District. The student-athletes were encouraged to score academically and become champions in their classrooms as they have on the basketball courts. Photo courtesy of OUSD.