Credit: Twitter
Riquna Williams, a guard for the Las Vegas Aces and a veteran of the WNBA, was arrested on Tuesday in connection to a domestic violence case involving her wife. Williams is facing nine charges, including three felonies, according to a police report.
According to the report, Williams accused her partner of cheating on her and removed numerous of her partner’s personal possessions before departing for a hotel stay, including a smartphone, which she subsequently entered into. Williams allegedly returned to the apartment after discovering proof of infidelity on the phone, and a fight followed. The Aces guard reportedly assaulted and kicked her spouse and attempted to choke her during the argument.
Williams was arrested at a hotel in Las Vegas and is being charged with three counts of strangulation, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of coercion with threat of use of physical force, and four counts of domestic violence. The 33-year-old is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail and has her next court date on August 2. Her spouse, the alleged victim in the case, has already moved away from Las Vegas, Williams' public defender said.
"The Las Vegas Aces were made aware of domestic violence charges against a member of our team, Riquna Williams," the team said Wednesday in a statement. "As an organization, we condemn domestic violence of any kind. 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."
The WNBPA issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging Williams' arrest, saying, “We have been advised of the situation involving one of our members in Las Vegas. We are monitoring the situation and have no further comment at this time.”
This is not the first time that Williams has been involved in a domestic violence case; in 2019, she was suspended for 10 games by the WNBA for allegedly assaulting her ex-girlfriend and threatening another person with a gun in Florida. The 10-year WNBA veteran, who came off the bench to score two tying baskets in the final seconds to help the Aces defeat the Connecticut Sun and win the franchise's first WNBA title, was essential to the Aces' victory.
