Brittney Griner, Rickea Jackson ejected after heated WNBA altercation

Phoenix Mercury veteran Brittney Griner and Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Rickea Jackson had to be separated before halftime of Tuesday’s matchup.

Both players received double technicals, which resulted in automatic ejections, late in the second quarter of the Phoenix’s 85-81 win over Los Angeles.

With less than 20 seconds to play in the second quarter, Jackson and teammate Li Yueru were attempting to box out Griner, whose arm made contact with Jackson’s face after a made free throw by Mercury guard Celeste Taylor.

They came face-to-face on the court and Jackson pushed Griner’s arm away, with things escalating quickly from there.

The two exchanged words before they were separated by referees, coaches and players.

Phoenix veteran Sophie Cunningham was seen chirping in the direction of Sparks players while making a talking gesture with her hand.

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Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) is restrained by Khary Stanley against the LA Sparks in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 17, ,2024.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It marked the first career ejection for Jackson, who has had a solid rookie season — averaging 13.4 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

The seventh-seeded Mercury (19-20) face the fifth-seeded Storm (24-15) in Phoenix on Thursday in both teams’ final regular-season game before the playoffs begin.

The Sparks (7-32) take on the Lynx (30-9) in Minnesota to close out their season.

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Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) is restrained by Khary Stanley from LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 17, 2024.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) is restrained by center Li Yueru (28), forward Dearica Hamby (5) and guard Zia Cooke (1) against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 17, 2024.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles will finish the regular season in last place and miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and will qualify for the WNBA Draft lottery.

The Mercury-Lynx first-round playoff series begins Sunday.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and Los Angeles Sparks rising sensation Rickea Jackson got into an intense exchange, which led to automatic ejections ahead of halftime at Tuesday night’s (Sept. 17) game.

With less than 20 seconds to left in the second quarter, Jackson and Sparks center Li Yueru were attempting to prevent Griner from scoring as the latter’s arm made contact with Jackson’s face following a free throw from Mercury guard Celeste Taylor.

In footage from ESPN (below), Griner and Jackson exchanged words, causing things to spiral rapidly. Jackson pushed Griner’s arm away and they ultimately were separated by referees, coaches and players before both receiving double technicals that resulted in the automatic ejections.

This marked the first career ejection for Jackson, who has otherwise shined bright during her rookie season. She averaged 13.4 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists, per New York Post.

Despite the ejections, Phoenix dominated—winning 85-81 over the Sparks, who will finish the regular WNBA season in last place. They won’t partake in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, but will qualify for the WNBA Draft lottery.

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This season, the NY Liberty secured the top spot for playoffs for the first time since 2015 following their win against Washington Mystics. They’ll begin with the home court advantage when postseason kicks off on Sunday.

Head coach Sandy Brondello told reporters on Tuesday, “We still have to take care of our business in the playoffs… We have a great arena. We have great fans, so we want to play in front of our fans as much as we can.” Their playoff opponent has yet to be determined, but it’s currently between the Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky or the Atlanta Dream in the first round.