Boivin: Mercury's Brittney Griner incident sheds light on long-taboo subject

When all is pled and done, this could turn out to be the greatest assist of Brittney Griner's career.

Reports on Thursday that the Mercury star and her fiancée were arrested on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct shed light on an issue that has been ignored by sports leagues, avoided by media and mocked by fans: same-sex domestic violence.

This period of hyper-sensitivity toward abuse issues is a good thing. It might not feel that way to Griner and her partner, Glory Johnson of the Tulsa Shock, but the long, Title IX-fueled journey for equal opportunity must also include equal coverage of tough storylines.

Their story is not unique.

In 2012, former WNBA standout Chamique Holdsclaw was arrested after taking a bat to her ex-girlfriend's car and firing a handgun into it. She pled guilty to aggravated assault and later revealed she suffered from bipolar disorder.

As more male athletes grow comfortable discussing their sexuality, stories of domestic abuse will inevitably follow.

It's a real concern. A 2014 survey by the National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center found that 21.5 percent of men and 35.4 percent of women living with same-sex partners experienced intimate-partner physical violence in their lifetimes, numbers significantly higher than opposite-sex relationships.

The Mercury, Shock and WNBA issued eerily similar sounding statements about the Griner-Johnson story, saying they are "aware of" an incident, with the teams offering no comment "at this time."

Due process comes first. Fair enough. But comments by Griner in the police report that acknowledge there was a fight, visible injuries to both, and a statement by Griner's attorney, David Michael Cantor, that the couple "will continue to work through these hardships together" strongly suggest something bad happened.

The WNBA should be proactive in educating players about abusive relationships and the resources available to them.

The league is unique in that it has had more athletes be open about their same-sex relationships. It should be at the forefront of discussion, too.

The WNBA, like most professional leagues, has been more reactive than proactive in addressing impactful issues.

It could learn a lot from the NFL, both good and bad.

It took a horrific video of Ray Rice in an elevator to make the league snap to attention. What followed was a revision to the personal conduct policy, a new Conduct Committee chaired by Cardinals president Michael Bidwill and a far greater sensitivity to the issue.

The positive to come out of the Rice incident was reports from domestic violence shelters that other victims were more comfortable to come forward.

This is the "burden" on Griner and Johnson, who clearly were engaged in a far different situation than Rice and his wife and, from multiple sources, spent Thursday together working on details for their upcoming wedding.

It doesn't meant they can't use what happened as a powerful tool to educate.

It is not just the league that bears responsibility to trigger change.

The media has under-reported stories of same-sex domestic violence. "Why" is a complicated question. Is it because same-sex relationships are still a hot-button issue for some? Is it because of fear of casting a negative light on women who are still battling equal-opportunity issues?

Some fans, too, have made it difficult. They are too busy spewing pejoratives about the league to engage in thoughtful conversation.

I'm interested to see how Griner handles this down the road.

She is a magnet for fans with her youthful enthusiasm, her basketball skills and her willingness to embrace who she is. At a book-signing of Griner's I moderated, I heard from parents and children who said her individuality has helped others forge their own path.

That's an amazing trait.

Griner has been open about her past and her struggles to control her temper. While at Baylor, she punched Texas Tech's Jordan Barncastle during a game.

She has talked about being bullied as a youth, how anger was often her reaction and how she subsequently underwent therapy.

Those are powerful, helpful stories.

So, too, can this one be, whatever the circumstances and end result.

We can all learn.

The WNBA.

The media.

The fans.

"Glory and Brittney sincerely apologize for the distraction this has caused their families, respective teams, the WNBA, sponsors and fans," Cantor said in his statement.

Apology accepted.

Now let's see where it goes from here.

Follow Paola Boivin at paola.boivin@arizonarepublic.com and on Twitter at Twitter.com/PaolaBoivin. Listen to her streaming live on "The Brad Cesmat Show" on sports360az.com every Monday at 10:30 a.m

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