Brittney Griner Talks About Her Record Seven-Game Suspension

WNBA Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner spoke about her and her wife’s record-setting seven-game suspension at the Phoenix Mercury’s first official training camp practice on Monday.

Arizona Central reports that Griner, who fell hard on her back and elbow, was playful during the three-hour long practice, cracking jokes and teasing teammates. However, Griner’s tone changed to contrite and became serious when she was asked about her suspension for her role in the domestic violence incident with her then-fiancee Glory Johnson.

“I accept what I did, and I understand there’s consequences for your actions,” she said. “So I accept my suspension, and I’m not going to fight it.”

WNBA President Laurel Richie handed down what is the longest suspension in the WNBA’s 19-year history to Griner and Johnson on Friday. The seven-game ban is nearly 1/5 of the league’s 34 game season.

“It is our strong belief that violence has absolutely no place in society, in sports or in this league,” Richie said. “As president, it is my responsibility to protect the league and uphold its values. Brittney and Glory’s conduct is detrimental to the best interests of the WNBA and violates applicable law. [However,]we also understand that people make mistakes, and that education and training are as important as imposing discipline.”

Griner and Johnson, who play for the Tulsa Shock, were arrested on April 22 on assault charges. Griner had the assault charge dismissed and pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to the Associated Press. Griner and Johnson were married on May 8 in Phoenix.

Following the incident, the WNBA spent a few weeks investigating. The WNBA found that Johnson started the confrontation by pushing Griner in the shoulder, to which Griner responded.

Griner could get the charges dismissed if she successfully completes 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling. Johnson, who also must attend counseling, had her case transferred to county court and is still pending. The WNBA said it may revisit the suspension if the players don’t comply with the conditions of the suspension or the court.

“I have already learned a tremendous amount from this experience and am committed to improving myself and my marriage going forward,” Griner said in a statement. “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. ”

Both teams play on the WNBA’s opening night, which is June 5. The Mercury, who are the defending WNBA champions, hosts San Antonio while Tulsa visits Minnesota. Griner will be eligible to return on June 27, which is a day after when Johnson could return. The Mercury and Shock will meet for the first time in 2015 on July 2.

The suspensions hurt both teams as they are considered by some to be the best players at their position. However, it might be a slightly bigger blow to the Mercury as star guard Diana Taurasi is going to sit out the season due to her commitment to her Russian club.

(photo by Getty Images)