Memphis Player Charged After Punching BGSU Player in WNIT Handshake Line

A University of Memphis basketball player is being charged with assault for an altercation at Thursday night’s Women's National Invitation Tournament game against Bowling Green State University.

As reported by ABC affiliate WTVG in Toledo, the BGSU athletic department has indicated that Bowling Green State University Police are charging Jamirah Shutes with assault after she was seen punching Elissa Brett during the postgame handshake, which followed the Falcon’s WNIT win against the Tigers in Ohio.

“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,” the Bowling Green State University Athletic Department said in a statement, as reported by WTVG.

As reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Shutes, a senior and the Tigers' leading scorer, stopped in line to say something to Bowling Green Brett, also a senior. The two exchanged words. As Brett walked away, Shutes reached out and struck her on the head before being quickly removed by a Tigers assistant coach.

After the strike, the Tigers were escorted off the court and into the locker room. Brett was tended to on the ground before being helped up. She walked off the court on her own power.

The Memphis’ athletics department said Friday that the incident was “extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes.”