WNBA star Brittney Griner was cut on the elbow in a knife attack in China but didn’t need to go to the hospital, her agent told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said Griner sustained a small cut as her team was boarding a bus after practice Monday in what she called a random attack. Colas said the 6-foot-8 player was wearing a winter coat and that the knife barely cut her skin. Griner didn’t require stitches.
The agent said the man also stabbed one of Griner’s teammates, but she was wearing two jackets and the knife didn’t go through.
Colas said the man was yelling as he chased the players onto the bus. She said he left the scene, and then returned covered in blood and was apprehended by Chinese authorities. It was not immediately clear in which city this happened.
Griner played Tuesday night against Liaoning Hengye and had 19 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. She posted a video and statement on her Instagram account after the incident saying she was fine.
Colas said that the team will review its security protocol after the incident.
Griner plays in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury and helped the team win a championship this past September. She led the league with a record 129 blocks and was the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She also helped the U.S. win a gold medal last month at the world championship.
“We are thankful Brittney and her teammates are all okay after this incident,” the Mercury tweeted from their team account.
This is Griner’s second season in China and first with the Beijing Great Wall.
Photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
