Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson got entangled in a tense altercation during their game on Tuesday. The incident took place in the second quarter after Phoenix’s Amy Atwell’s free throw attempt, with 18.8 seconds left on the clock.
Both Griner and Jackson were jockeying for position for a potential rebound. When Atwell’s free throw shot went in, Griner swung her right arm as if to push the younger Jackson away. Seemingly upset by the move, Jackson approached the veteran Griner aggressively, escalating the situation. The rookie then moved to shove Griner, agitating the 10-time WNBA All-Star, prompting players and officials alike to separate them. The two continued to exchange heated words even after the separation and their eventual ejection from the game.
Sparks’ Crystal Dangerfield and Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham were also each charged with technical fouls for their involvement in the incident.
Before they were ejected, Brittney Griner had been on fire on the court. She scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, gathered three rebounds, one assists, and two blocks, playing roughly 14 minutes before the altercation and ultimately getting ejected.
Meanwhile, Rickea Jackson’s stats weren’t as impressive. The rookie played over 19 minutes, scoring only eight points on 2-of-11 shooting, grabbed three rebounds, and one steal.
Phoenix Mercury win over LA Sparks even without Brittney Griner
Despite Brittney Griner’s ejection from the game following her physical altercation with the Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, the Phoenix Mercury still managed to secure a victory over the host team, 85-81. The win propelled the Mercury to rise to a 19-20 record, while the Sparks plummeted to 7-32.
Five Mercury players scored in double figures: Griner and Sophie Cunningham with 14 points, Diana Taurasi and Natasha Could with 13, and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan with 10.
On the side of the Sparks, Dearica Hamby almost recorded a double-double, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds along with two assists and two steals. Li Yueru came strong off the bench, contributing a double-double of her own with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mercury are the seventh seed coming into the WNBA playoffs, while the Sparks virtually never left the bottom of the league standings after losing Cameron Brink to a season-ending injury way back in June. Both teams each have one game left to play in the regular season on Thursday; The Mercury will face the Seattle Storm, while the Sparks will battle the Minnesota Lynx.
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