Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury and Russian prison fame, along with Rickea Jackson of the Los Angeles Sparks, were involved in a near brawl during their game on Tuesday night.
Late in the second quarter, with the Sparks leading by a score of 43-36, an altercation took place while Mercury guard Celeste Taylor was shooting a free throw.
Griner, in an attempt to position herself, collided with Jackson, and it appeared that she elbowed Jackson in the face unintentionally. Jackson took exception, and words were exchanged, escalating into shoving between the two players.
Both players were restrained by their teammates and order was quickly restored. The pair were assessed double technical fouls and were ejected.
Brittney Griner harms one hair on Rickea Jackson head she going back to Russia
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) September 18, 2024
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Brittney Griner And Rickea Jackson Tossed
Rickea Jackson may have been letting the course of the game, if not the season, get to her. While the Los Angeles Sparks weren’t expected to be highly competitive this year, the loss of rookie Cameron Brink earlier in the schedule dealt the team a difficult blow.
They are, in fact, the worst team in the league with just seven wins to speak of.
And Jackson was struggling on the night as her team trailed. She finished with just 8 points on 2 of 11 shooting from the field.
At the time of their ejections, Brittney Griner was the leading scorer with 14 points, having shot efficiently at 7 of 8 from the field.
Worse, the ejections and the near brawl seemed to spark (pun intended) the Mercury. After trailing 44-36 at the half, Phoenix dominated the third quarter, outscoring LA by 18 points, and went on to win, 85-81.
RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner Says She Wants New Baby Boy To Call Her ‘Pops’
Fans Tease Griner
The fight between Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson spoiled what should have been a special night. The Sparks were celebrating fan appreciation night with the final home game of the regular season.
And this may have been the final game in the illustrious WNBA career of Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi.
Several fans on social media joked about Griner and her famously serious situation involving a Russian prison. Griner was arrested in Russia in February 2022 on drug charges for possessing cannabis oil. She was sentenced to 9 years in prison after pleading guilty, claiming it was an accident.
She was released in December 2022 as part of a prisoner swap for infamous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Since then, Griner’s life has been a little more grounded. She was thrilled with the Olympic experience in Paris this summer. She even showed emotion and appreciation for the national anthem and the American flag.
Griner also shared the joyous news of the arrival of a new baby boy with her wife, Cherelle.
Griner says she intends to have the baby refer to her as “Pops.”
The Phoenix Mercury are headed to the playoffs as a 7-seed. The Sparks have one more game before heading home for the offseason.
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