Report: Ex-WNBA Star Cappie Pondexter Arrested on Battery Charge


Pondexter, 37, was the No. 2 pick in the 2006 WNBA draft and went on to have an accomplished career in the WNBA.

Former WNBA star Cappie Pondexter was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on a battery charge on Tuesday, according to Madeline Kenney and Tom Schuba of the Chicago Sun-Times. 

An LAPD spokesperson told the Sun-Times that Pondexter was released from custody on Thursday.

The LAPD told L.A.'s Fox 11 that Pondexter did not identify herself to police, so she was booked as a Jane Doe.

According to The Athletic's Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Pondexter has not been located following her release and has no identification on her person. That follows an earlier report from The Athletic that Pondexter had been declared a missing person and that there was an active investigation regarding her disappearance. 

"We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister, Cappie Pondexter," the WNBPA tweeted Thursday afternoon. "If you have any information, please contact authorities. Please help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe."

Pondexter, 37, was the No. 2 pick in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury. She has won two WNBA titles, made seven WNBA All-Star appearances and three All-WNBA First-Team appearances. 

“At her peak, she was the most unstoppable player in the league,” Diana Taurasi told The New York Times in 2019, speaking about her former Mercury teammate. “And it’s hard to do that at 5’8” with such an athletic big league, and Cappie, when she was on the court, Cappie could have been 6’4.” That’s how big her game was. That’s how much impact she had on games.”

Pondexter retired from the WNBA in April 2019.

She recently contributed to NBA TV's basketball coverage, including serving as an analyst at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.