“No man could even hold me back” Brittney Griner brought the fear of ‘death’ and ‘brutal beating’ by chasing Kristine Anigwe only to knock her out mid-game
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Brittney Griner during the fight vs Dallas Wings in 2019
An altercation that started in the middle of the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury game in 2019 resulted in the ejection of Brittney Griner and five other players. When Griner and Kristine Anigwe of the Wings were pulled together while battling for a rebound, they got into a brawl and started throwing punches.
Actual punches being thrown are not typical within pro basketball. There aren’t many confrontations that result in blows that are intended to hit a person with any type of ferocity, whether they take place in the NBA, WNBA, or NCAA. That was not the case when the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury played in a WNBA game in 2019. The game was quite tense and in reality, there was a rivalry between the two teams, and some of the players did not get along. So a fight started, and it was necessary to stop Brittney Griner from confronting Kristine Anigwe. The major protagonists in the nearly brawl were removed along with others following a lengthy video review.
Who is Brittney Griner?
The 6 feet 9-inch centre Brittney Griner has been a part of the Phoenix Mercury since 2013, when she was chosen by the team out of Baylor University in the first round. The 31-year-old is regarded as one of the finest two-way players in the WNBA and was chosen in 2021 as one of the top 25 players in league history. In addition to winning the Player of the Year Award and a national collegiate title in 2012, she has also won two Olympic gold medals and a WNBA championship since starting her professional career in 2013 with the US women’s national basketball team. She also created history by becoming the first homosexual athlete to secure a sponsorship agreement with Nike.
Where is Griner now?
Since being taken into custody in February at Sheremetyevo International Airport, Brittney Griner has been held by Russian authorities. The former WNBA defensive player of the year and all-star was taken into custody by Russian Customs while in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Griner received a nine-year jail sentence in August after being convicted guilty of drug offences in Russia. Russian authorities admitted that they and the American administration had discussed the possibility of exchanging prisoners. Since 2014, Griner, a 31-year-old player, has also participated in UMMC Ekaterinburg’s WNBA offseason matches in Russia and she was on the way to attend the team’s camp when she was detained by the Russian officials.
The time when Kristine Anigwe was seen running for life
Brittney Griner and Kristine Anigwe of the Wings became entangled during the fourth quarter of a 2019 regular season game between Phoenix and Dallas when they came together while battling for a rebound. Griner’s arm was grabbed by Anigwe, who then struck at BG’s head. Griner and Anigwe clashed because Griner reportedly took issue with what Anigwe did discreetly. Greiner eventually pursued Anigwe across the court before being restrained by other players. Anigwe retreated back to her squad as the other players began swinging at one another near to the bench, where many additional players were seen pushing and shoving.
Referees only intervened to stop Brittney Griner as she followed Kristine Anigwe and no fouls were called during the altercation. In support of her partner, Diana Taurasi and other Mercury players got off the bench. Before deciding to eject players, referees took 10 minutes to assess the situation through video assistance. Prior to the fight, Phoenix had a 71-68 lead; however, Phoenix lost all momentum as Dallas went on a 12-6 run to win the game.
The on-court altercation between Kristine Anigwe and Brittney Griner, according to Griner, has been resolved, and she anticipates no additional issues between the two. In a later interview, Griner discussed the entire altercation and shared her opinions on what transpired. Brittney acknowledged that her entire actions were inappropriate, and she then said the statement: ”Even a grown man couldn’t hold me back!” The WNBA banned many players following the incident, but Griner received the longest suspension—three games.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)