The WNBA suspended Los Angeles Sparks guard Riquna Williams for 10 games without pay because of a domestic violence incident involving her ex-girlfriend in December.
What We Know:
- In April, Williams was arrested on felony charges of burglary with assault and battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, stemming from the incident, according to ESPN.
- Williams forced her way inside a Florida home and repeatedly struck her ex-girlfriend, Alkeria Davis, in the head and pulled her hair on Dec. 6, according to police records. When a man at the home broke up the altercation, Williams grabbed a gun from her car and pointed it at him before saying “you’ll get all 18” before speeding off from the scene.
- The WNBA said it conducted its own investigation, including interviews with Williams and several witnesses, and consulted with a panel of experts in the field of domestic violence. Her suspension surpassed the seven games given to Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson in 2015 for their domestic violence arrests. The suspension begins with the Sparks’ game against the Dallas Wings.
- “As an organization, we abhor violence of any kind and specifically take domestic violence allegations very seriously,” the Sparks said in a statement. “We will provide whatever resources we are allowed to help Riquna learn and grow from this unfortunate situation.”
- The union said it would file a grievance on Williams’ behalf due to the league’s lack of fairness. “Riquna has not had a fair opportunity to fully defend herself. We are immediately filing a grievance and will seek the arbitrator’s review,” said Terri Jackson, executive director of the union.
The criminal case is ongoing.
