The Big 12 Conference has suspended three members of Kansas University’s women’s basketball team for their actions in a postgame brawl Saturday with Missouri University.
Kandis Bonner, Larisha Graves and Tamara Ransburg have been suspended for one game each. Bonner was suspended for kicking a Missouri player, Ransburg for attempting to strike a player and Graves for grabbing a player and causing her to fall to the court.
In addition, KU’s Lauren Ervin received a repirmand for taunting the Tigers after the game.
The conference also suspended two Missouri players — Christelle N’Garsanet and MyEsha Perkins — for their attempts to strike Jayhawks. Missouri added another game to Perkins’ suspension.
Big 12 officials announced the suspensions Wednesday, stating that the players had violated the conference’s “Principles and Standards of Sportsmanship by engaging in flagrant misconduct and not showing proper restraint in their conduct” during the fight.
KU athletic director Lew Perkins and Missouri AD Mike Alden issued the following joint statement: “The administrators, coaches and student-athletes of our two great institutions regret the unfortunate incident that followed our women’s basketball game Saturday night. The incident put a damper on what was an outstanding night of athletic competition, and none of us is proud of it.
“We have spoken to our administrators, to our coaches and to our student-athletes. We both encourage sporting behavior and support the Big 12 Conference’s Code of Conduct. We will do our best to ensure that everyone involved in our athletics programs behave in a manner that brings credit to themselves, intercollegiate athletics, the conference and our universities. We expect our fans to do the same,” added Perkins and Alden.
The Big 12 also noted that KU head coach Marian Washington’s public comments after the brawl were contrary to conference policy.
“I am pleased that University of Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins has adequately addressed this issue with coach Washington,” Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said. “Further, the issues raised publicly were not the cause of the unsporting behavior by players, based upon the information available at this time. Finally, it appears that Missouri game management worked to prevent further escalation of the incident in an appropriate manner.”
