WNBA player Riquna Williams banned from Aces after domestic violence charges

LAS VEGAS — Veteran WNBA guard Riquna Williams was banned by the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday, a day after her arrest on domestic violence charges.

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Williams, 33, who helped the Aces to a WNBA title last season, is facing felony charges of assault constituting domestic violence with a deadly weapon, coercion constituting domestic violence, three counts of domestic battery by strangulation and four misdemeanor counts of domestic battery, the Las Vegas Journal-Review reported, citing court records.

Williams was taken into custody “regarding a domestic violence investigation,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a statement Wednesday, according to KSNV-TV.

According to an arrest report, the player’s wife called police on Tuesday and said that Williams had attacked her, punching and choking her, the Journal-Review reported. The woman had told Williams she wanted a break from their relationship, the report stated.

The victim told police that she and Williams had been in a romantic relationship for approximately four years and were married in September 2022, KLAS-TV reported.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Aces said Williams will not be participating in team-related events.

“As an organization, we condemn domestic violence of any kind,” the statement said. “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.”

Williams did not speak during her hearing on Wednesday, the Journal-Review reported. She was ordered released from jail.

“The court does have concerns regarding the extremely violent nature of the allegations in this case, that they were alleged to have occurred over an extended period of time,” Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Rebecca Saxe said during Williams’ court appearance,” according to the newspaper.

The judge said that Williams cannot have any contact with her spouse and must follow alcohol monitoring, ESPN reported. She is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 2.

Williams has not played this season due to a back injury, The Associated Press reported.