Sports

WNBA Reviewing Isiah Thomas Hire, Domestic Violence Case

Published

9 years ago

May 9, 2015

WNBA players Brittney Griner, left, and Glory Johnson. The couple were arrested on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct after a fight at their home in a Phoenix suburb. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Doug Feinberg, ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The WNBA has been thrown into the national conversation about domestic violence and sports, and now is facing a decision involving sexual harassment.

The league is reviewing the hiring of Isiah Thomas — once the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit — as president of the New York Liberty, an announcement that caught the WNBA president off guard. The WNBA was already immersed in a domestic dispute involving All-Stars Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson, who were arrested two weeks ago after assaulting each other at their home.

How the premier women’s sports league handles both is drawing interest.

WNBA President Laurel J. Richie told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday night that Thomas’ hiring was “first and foremost a team decision, but there’s ultimate responsibility with the league and that rests in my office.”

Anucha Browne Sanders, a former Madison Square Garden executive, brought a lawsuit in 2007, contending Thomas sexually harassed her. It cost MSG $11.5 million, but the Basketball Hall of Famer maintained his innocence and said he was never found personally liable.

Browne Sanders responded through her lawyer in a statement on Thursday. She says the Garden is attempting to “rewrite history” by saying what happened to her was simply “allegations” and unrelated to Thomas.

“The Garden’s suggestion that the jury somehow exonerated Thomas by failing to award punitive damages against him is simply untrue,” the statement said. “To the contrary, six of seven jurors voted to assess punitive damages against Thomas personally. Had the defendants not settled after the verdict, Thomas would have had to face a retrial on that issue.”

Richie said she was surprised by the Liberty’s announcement and that the league wasn’t given much advance notice.

Thomas also was given an ownership stake in the team, but Richie said the WNBA hasn’t received a completed application yet.

“The announcement came out (Tuesday), we’re less than 48 hours” into the process, Richie said. “I’d say both on behalf of the league and personally, I’m in the process of gathering information. Ultimately this is a decision in terms of ownership that is a board-level decision. I will participate in that discussion.”

The WNBA Board of Governors has to approve Thomas’ ownership application.

“Once we receive that application our vetting process will begin,” Richie said. “We have read the reports in the news and that will be a part of our vetting process, absolutely. We have an annual meeting in December and the rest of our meetings are ad hoc meetings. This would be an ad hoc meeting.”

The Women’s Sports Foundation wrote an open letter Thursday to the WNBA Board of Governors, urging it not to approve Thomas as part-owner of the Liberty.

“Our reaction echoed the public’s overwhelming sentiment. We were shocked. We were puzzled,” the letter said.

The letter added that if Thomas becomes the Liberty president the message to young girls and women is that “sexual harassment — inexcusable behavior in any workplace — is not only tolerated but is instead rewarded with executive offices and big contracts.”

While the Thomas hiring is new, the domestic violence case is not.

Griner, center for the Phoenix Mercury, and Johnson, a 6-foot-3 forward with the Tulsa Shock, were arrested April 22 on suspicion of assault after their fight.

The 6-8 Griner entered into a diversion agreement, where she will plead guilty to disorderly conduct and attend 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling. All charges will be dismissed if she completes her counseling.

Richie said the league is still investigating the fight.

Griner talked with league officials last week, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because it is a personnel matter and the investigation is still pending.

The league has the option to fine, suspend or even terminate the contracts of Griner and Johnson.

“My hope is by the time our season starts, we will have done the due diligence on both fronts so that when our players are on the court and our seasons begun we are focused on what I think is incredible talent and terrific entertainment in the WNBA,” Richie said.

WNBA players are waiting to see what action the league takes.

“Brittney will learn from this and grow,” said Diana Taurasi, who had a DUI arrest in 2009 and was suspended two games by the WNBA. “There are things that happen in life, but … domestic violence is unacceptable. There are so many questions that the league has to answer and set a precedent for.”

___

AP Sports Writer Melissa Murphy in New York contributed to this report.

Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Getty Images

By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!