Mikayla Cowling suffers fractured eye socket in attack at club

A professional women’s basketball player from the United States, playing for VBW Arka Gdynia in Poland, was subjected to a brutal assault resulting in a head injury, according to officials and reports in the Polish media on Sunday.

Mikayla Cowling, a player for VBW Arka Gdynia, was attacked in a music club in Gdansk, a city located in northern Poland, on Wednesday, as reported by RMF FM broadcaster. They also stated that Cowling suffered a fractured eye socket and other injuries as a result of the violent beating.

Gdansk is situated near Gdynia on the Baltic coast.

Gdynia Mayor, Wojciech Szczurek, expressed his outrage regarding the incident and condemned violence and aggression, emphasizing the need to confront them. He also announced that the attacker has been apprehended and wished Cowling a speedy recovery.

The assault took place after a EuroCup women’s match, in which the Gdynia team triumphed over their Swiss opponents, BCF Elfic Fribourg, with a score of 77-47.

In an interview with the Polish state news agency PAP, Boguslaw Witkowski, the president of the Gdynia club, stated that Cowling was attacked by a security guard near the women’s restroom.

During the attack, Cowling, 27, sustained multiple blows to the head and was also kicked when she fell. Her most severe injury is a fractured orbital bone, and she is currently recuperating at home under observation. Additional tests are scheduled for next week to assess her condition.

The police spokesperson, quoted by PAP, confirmed that the attacker, a 48-year-old man, was apprehended on Friday.

Cowling, who stands at 6-foot-2, was a four-year starter at Cal and was selected by the Connecticut Sun as the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.