The decision of the WNBA on Friday to suspend Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson each for seven games without pay was the right thing to do. And the WNBA went about it in the right way.
The fans and media who kept this topic on the front burner over the past three weeks did the right thing, too. It was OK to question how and when the league would act, because this was too important an issue for the WNBA to have any lapse in leadership.
The lengthy and thoughtful statement released Friday in regard to how league president Laurel Richie reached her decision was a noteworthy accomplishment for both Richie and the WNBA.
Transparency in a process like this is the best policy, both in reassuring the parties involved that it was done in a just manner and for explaining it thoroughly to the public.
Even if people don't agree with these suspensions -- thinking either they are too harsh or too lenient -- they have to respect the way the decision was made. Any process like this is always more complicated for the people in authority positions who have to navigate it than it is for outsiders, media included, to weigh in on it.
But by detailing how she came to her conclusions -- talking to all parties involved, reading the police report, seeking advice from domestic violence experts, getting counsel from the NBA -- Richie removed any doubt about her commitment to aggressive but fair leadership on a difficult issue. She explained why it took the time it did and provided a thorough blueprint.
She also, though, showed a genuine and necessary concern for the well-being of Griner and Johnson, who just got married last week. These are two talented, young players who will be important participants in the WNBA for a long time. Their personal growth is vital to them, their families, their teams and the league.
Sometimes punishment is a part of growth, as painful as it might be. The hope of everyone, no doubt, is that Griner and Johnson understand they are not being targeted or pilloried. That, instead, they come out of these suspensions and required counseling with a stronger relationship and a clearer understanding of the factors that led to their altercation.
And that because of this, they'll learn how to better deal with disagreements and stress in the future. Every relationship has those things; it's about how you handle them.
Richie needed to impart the message, in no uncertain terms, that there are standards of behavior for WNBA players that are non-negotiable. But she also pointed out that the WNBA, just like every other business, has a responsibility to aid in educating its employees on behavioral matters like this.
So rather than Richie's message being a strictly punitive one, it also comes across as understanding the big picture in regard to sports leagues and domestic violence, and the role that all companies can have in helping employees avoid disagreements escalating out of control.
The WNBA did not need to address this case simply as a "reaction" to what other professional sports leagues have done -- or not done -- in regard to domestic violence situations. Rather, the WNBA needed to make very, very clear that it will be a leader on this topic.
Richie did that and deserves credit for it. The WNBA can move forward knowing that it made a firm and commendable statement that resonates on an issue that will require continued vigilance, discussion and concern.