Sports

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

Published

10 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

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

3 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

3 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok