Who is Riquna Williams? WNBA champ arrested on nine charges of domestic violence after allegedly hitting and choking wife
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: WNBA guard Riquna Williams has been barred from all Las Vegas Aces activities after her arrest on multiple charges due to an alleged domestic violence incident involving her wife. The 33-year-old Williams was arrested on Tuesday, July 25, after her wife accused her of strangling and hitting her during an altercation.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's report noted that the alleged incident took place at around 3 am on Tuesday when Williams' wife told her that she "wanted a break from the relationship," as per Fox News. The victim, who was not identified by police, said she was packing her things when Williams allegedly began to throw things at her and "grabbed her by her shirt and violently threw her to the ground." In addition, the report stated that the WNBA champ strangled her wife "until she could not breathe" and supposedly remarked, "I’ll kill you here and walk to the jail myself."
What are the charges against Riquna Williams?
During an hour-long altercation, Williams reportedly began punching her with "closed fists on both sides of her head and arm" and later placed her in a choke hold, strangling her for approximately 30 seconds. The victim claimed that Williams left the residence after a while, taking her cell phone, ID, and credit cards. Later that morning, when she came back, there was another disagreement. She eventually left her wife and was later arrested by police. However, Williams has refuted her wife’s allegations, claiming that she was the victim and that her wife was the "primary aggressor." Law enforcement noted that Williams could not provide a "consistent statement" when asked for further details, according to the police report.
Williams made her court appearance on Wednesday, July 26, when a judge allowed her to be freed from jail without bail. However, the judge noted that she is not allowed to make any contact with the alleged victim and must comply with alcohol monitoring pending another court appearance on August 2. Williams was charged with three felony counts of strangulation, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of coercion. She was also booked on four misdemeanor counts of domestic battery, according to USA TODAY Sports.
Following the arrest, the Las Vegas Aces issued a statement explaining that Williams would, at least presently, not be with the team. "As an organization, we condemn domestic violence of any kind," the statement read, adding, "At this time, Riquna Williams will be precluded from participating in team activities. Our thoughts are with the parties involved in this situation. We are currently gathering more information, and as such we will not have any further comments at this time." Before her release, Williams spent around two years playing for the team and had a significant role during the 2022 championship season.
Who is Riquna Williams?
Born in Pahokee, Florida, Williams played collegiately for the Miami Hurricanes of the University of Miami, graduating with a major in sports administration. Notably, she was selected by the Tulsa Shock with the 17th overall pick in the 2012 WNBA draughts. Williams would go on to have a breakout year in the 2013 season, averaging a career-high 15.6 points per game despite starting in only 6 of the 27 games she played during the season. She played with the Shocks for three seasons before being traded to Los Angeles Sparks in 2016. However, Williams' career suffered a rocky patch in 2019 when she was suspended for 10 games following her arrest on domestic battery charges brought by her ex-girlfriend. In the incident, she forced her way into the victim's home and struck her repeatedly on the head.
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