Some people handle losing more gracefully than others. In some cases, a loss can motivate an individual to work harder and train better to ensure a better opportunity to win next time, but that was not the case for Memphis Women’s Basketball player Jamirah Shutes. Shutes has now been charged with assault for her actions following the game.
In one of the best traditions in college basketball, following a 73-60 victory for Bowling Green over Memphis, Jamirah Shutes punched an opposing player in the face while the teams shook hands postgame. Video of the incident became the biggest story of the day in the Women’s NIT Tournament, overshadowing the impressive play that sent Bowling Green to the next round.
BGSU women’s basketball moving on to the final 8 of the WNIT after beating Memphis — but this will steal the headlines unfortunately.
Ugly, ugly scene in the handshake line. A Memphis player punched Elissa Brett. Just brutal. pic.twitter.com/2hptXYBEtj
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) March 24, 2023
Elissa Brett, the Bowling Green player who Shutes hit, was clearly hurt following the attack as she was seen lying on the ground and covering her face. Memphis’ coaches and teammates quickly ushered Shutes away from the opposing team, but the damage had already been done. Bowling Green athletics released a statement following the incident, which took place in Bowling Green’s home gym. The statement, shared by WTOL 11, said:
“Following Thursday’s unwarranted physical incident after the WNIT home game, the Bowling Green State University Police Department has charged a member of the Memphis Women’s Basketball team with assault. Additionally, BGSU Athletics is conducting its own review. Violence is never acceptable and our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete, who is recovering and doing well. This is an active investigation in conjunction with the City of Bowling Green Prosecutor, and no further comment is available at this time.”
Bowling Green refused to speak more on the matter, adding:
“Bowling Green State University Athletics does not make comments about active police investigations. Our priority is with the health, safety and support of our student-athletes.”
The Memphis athletic department also released a statement on the matter, saying that they would allow police to conduct a thorough investigation and leave this issue “in the hands of local authorities.” The statement was shared on Twitter by Clayton Collier:
“The incident that occurred following Thursday’s women’s basketball game was extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes. Because the incident occurred after the game, jurisdiction falls in the hands of local authorities, and we are cooperating fully with their process. To be respectful of that process, we will not comment further until it is complete.”
A postgame handshake line is often a place of controversy in postseason college basketball, but incidents like this are few and far between. It is normal to see, for example, two rival head coaches having a tense stare-down or maybe even declining to shake hands with one another. This kind of violence, however, is entirely out of line with normal behavior following a game. It is evident by the way that both schools are handling the situation that Shutes’ actions reach far beyond what is expected from a college basketball player.
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