College basketball player who was sucker punched in WNIT game transfers to Michigan
Elissa Brett was involved in a fight after a game against Memphis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Elissa Brett, the college basketball player who was on the receiving end of a punch during a Women’s NIT game against Memphis in March, transferred to Michigan, the school announced Friday.
Brett spent four seasons at Bowling Green University and led the Eagles to the semifinals of the WNIT and the Mid-American Conference Championship Game. She is set to graduate from Bowling Green with a degree in human development and family studies.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bowling Green Falcons guard Elissa Brett, #5, left, is assisted off of the court after an altercation with Memphis Tigers guard Jamirah Shutes, not pictured, during the postgame handshake following a third round college womens basketball game of the Womens National Invitational Tournament between the Memphis Tigers and the Bowling Green Flacons on March 23, 2023 at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"Elissa is a proven winner. She is such a competitor and what is really important during the recruiting process is finding players who fit into our style. One of our core values is competitive greatness; we want players who want to compete at the highest level and who want to win at everything they do," Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said in a news release.
"She does all of those things, and I think she is going to be a candidate for our sticker award every single day. She is an exceptional defender who takes charges and rebounds extremely well from the guard position. She can get to the basket and made more than 90 three-pointers last season, so she can really score from all over the court. She also brings a lot of experience to our team, both in the regular season and in the postseason."
Memphis Tigers guard Jamirah Shutes, #23, is escorted off of the court after an altercation with Bowling Green Falcons guard Elissa Brett, not pictured, during the postgame handshake following a third round college womens basketball game of the Womens National Invitational Tournament between the Memphis Tigers and the Bowling Green Flacons on March 23, 2023 at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brett was thrust into the spotlight in March after she was on the receiving end of a punch during a game against Memphis in the WNIT.
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Tigers guard Jamirah Shutes was charged with assault for her role in the fight. She pleaded not guilty after the incident.
The incident happened at the conclusion of the Memphis-BGSU matchup. As both teams approached mid-court to shake hands, Shutes appeared to stop when she reached Brett.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shutes then appeared to sucker-punch Brett, forcing her to the floor.
Elissa Brett, #5 of the Bowling Green Falcons, drives to the basket against Sienna Durr, #20 of the Columbia Lions, during the second half during a Fab 4 Round game of the Women's NIT tournament at Stroh Center at Stroh Center on March 29, 2023 in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
According to an incident report provided by BGSU, Shutes allegedly struck Brett in the face "with a closed fist," resulting in "some swelling in [Brett’s] right eye."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A member of the Tigers' coaching staff then appeared to grab Shutes and escort her off the court.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.