Newlyweds Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson were suspended from the WNBA on Friday after their domestic violence arrests last month, according to the Associated Press.
Each of them will miss seven games in the league’s longest suspensions in its 19-year history, the report says. The suspensions amount to more than one-fifth of the 34-game regular season. WNBA President Laurel Richie said the league “takes all acts of violence extremely seriously,” AP reports.
“Brittney and Glory’s conduct is detrimental to the best interests of the WNBA and violates applicable law,” Richie said in a statement, AP reports. “We also understand that people make mistakes and that education and training are as important as imposing discipline.”
Griner plays center for the three-time WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, and Johnson is a forward with the Tulsa Shock. Both women were arrested last month on domestic-violence-related charges at their home in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.
They were married May 8 at an outdoor ceremony atop a mountain in Phoenix.
The punishment comes at a time when professional sports teams are trying to hold players accountable on issues of domestic violence after several high-profile incidents put a spotlight on the problem.
“I have already learned a tremendous amount from this experience and am committed to improving myself and my marriage,” Griner said in a statement, AP reports. “I want to thank everyone for their support over these last few weeks. I realize I let down a lot of people who have been champions for me, and I will support my teammates and our organization every day until I am back on the court. I am thankful for the opportunity to make positive changes and become a role model for others to do the same.”
The WNBA ordered individual counseling for both women. If they fail to complete counseling, the league may revisit the case, the report says.
Read more at Yahoo News.