Elissa Brett of BGSU is said to have been struck in the handshake line by Memphis resident Jamirah Shutes, who has been charged with assault, have a look as the video of the assault goes viral on Twitter and Instagram
According to police, Memphis guard Jamirah Shutes was charged with assault after the Falcons’ victory in the third round of the WNIT on Thursday night.
It is alleged that Shutes struck Bowling Green teammate Elissa Brett as the two teams queued up for handshakes.
In response to the “unwarranted physical incident” with Brett following BGSU’s 73-60 victory, Shutes, a fifth-year player, was charged, according to a press release from the Bowling Green State University Police Department.
Who is Elissa Brett of BGSU punched in the face by Jamirah Shutes of Memphis in viral Twitter and Instagram video
As per Fox News, the statement read:
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.”
It further read that Violence is never acceptable, and their top priorities continue to be their student-athletes recovery and well-being as well as his or their health, safety, and support.
There is currently no further information available regarding this inquiry, which is being conducted in partnership with the prosecutor for the City of Bowling Green.
Thursday’s game was Shutes’ final game with the Tigers after she completed her fifth season with the program and she’s one of 27 players in Memphis history to score over 1,000 career points and was a second-team All-AAC selection this season as she led the Tigers with 15 points per game.
Brett has been Bowling Green’s leading scorer this season with nearly 15 points per game herself. The Australia native has played four seasons for the Falcons and had 13 points Thursday night while Brett had 15.
Born: 13 October 2000 (age 22 years)
Current team: Bowling Green Falcons women’s basketball (#5 / Guard)
Height: 1.78 m
The win means Bowling Green will host Florida on Monday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.
Absolutely hate to see this…Elissa Brett punched in the face after Bowling Green's #WNIT victory over Memphis
She fell to the ground after being hit but fortunately was able to walk back to the locker room with some assistance. Hopefully she's okay! pic.twitter.com/3UxtvJaUoV
— H. Tyler Seggerman (@TylerSeggerman) March 24, 2023
According to the police, BGSU Athletics was also conducting its own investigation.
The incident happened following Memphis’ conclusion of BGSU in the Sweet 16 match. Both parties moved to the centre of the court to shake hands, but Shutes seemed to pause as she approached Brett.
Shutes looked to be grabbed by a Tigers coach who then led her off the ground after hitting Brett in the face, according to the authorities.
An incident report claims that Brett suffered “swelling in their right eye due to this strike.”
Friday, Memphis issued a statement affirming that it was working with local authorities.
They stated that the event that took place after the women’s basketball game on Thursday was exceedingly regrettable and undoubtedly fell short of their expectations for their programmes and student-athletes.
Shutes, a Tennessee native, scored 1,000 points and joined the programme as the 27th participant ever. In school history, she has the thirteenth-most points.