UNC Wilmington disciplines assistant women’s hoop coach who made player roll length of court

UNCW disciplines assistant women’s hoop coach

WILMINGTON, N.C. — An assistant women’s basketball coach at North Carolina-Wilmington faces undisclosed disciplinary action after she punished a player by making her roll the length of the court for 30 minutes.

Spokesman Joe Browning declined Thursday to specify how Johnetta Hayes was disciplined. Athletic director Kelly Mehrtens said in a statement that “appropriate disciplinary action has been taken” but did not elaborate, citing school policy and state law.

Guard Julia Finlay vomited multiple times Monday when she rolled the length of the court, her punishment for being kicked out of practice.

Mehrtens says the drill “will never happen again” at UNCW, which hired Cynthia Cooper in May as its women’s basketball coach.

The StarNews of Wilmington was first to report details of the player’s punishment.