Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and Los Angeles Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson got into an on-court altercation in a marquee WNBA game before both were ejected – but was it much ado about nothing, when NBA players regularly scrap much harder?
After reviewing replay footage, was this really a fight? Sure, squabbles in sporting contests are often nothing like street brawls, but we have certainly seen more violence than this in athletic competition.
Mainstream society has finally started putting women’s sports in the same light as the men’s. But when it comes to showing grittiness or confrontation, it seems women are still competing against a double standard.
For NBA fans, “Malice at the Palace” should ring a bell. Additionally, Madison Square Garden hosted a memorable melee between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets back in 2006. Could you imagine what heads would roll if something similar went down in the W?
Tuesday’s joint ejection of Griner and Jackson came with less than 20 seconds left in the game’s first half. Guard Celeste Taylor was at the charity stripe for the Mercury. After Taylor converted her second of two foul shots, Griner — standing next to Jackson on the court’s key — popped the rookie with an elbow to the chin. Naturally, the fiery Jackson did not take too kindly to Griner’s gesture and a “fight” quickly ensued.
Although the 6’2 Jackson was greatly overmatched in experience and size, the rook from the University of Tennessee was ready to throw down with Phoenix’s towering center. Still, officials and fellow players on both sides were quick to separate the two agitated hoopers.
Again, there was not much to look at in this “fight” after Griner’s elbow connected with Jackson’s face. With that, it makes one wonder if ejections would have been dealt out as quickly if this same tussle occurred on the men’s side. In areas where NBA players are given slack, the same is not always true for WNBA. But why is that?
I’ve had games of Madden against my brother that resulted in more commotion than what we saw Tuesday between Griner and Jackson. In my opinion, that same dust-up would be labeled as a one-way technical had this been in a men’s game—double technical at most.
Flying elbows and other nuanced contact is prevalent around the NBA and the game of basketball, in general. That doesn’t necessarily earn the label of a fight. As a polarizing figure, Griner took to social media to defend her stance (and to ward off trolls).
So, did BG and Jackson really deserve to be ejected? Upon reviewing the tape, was it warranted for both players to hit the showers early? After all, women are athletes—tough, physical athletes. This may be difficult for some to understand, but not everything women do is meant to be graceful and glamorous.
To the contrary, society still seems to expect better behavior out of the WNBA compared to the NBA.
As an All-Star and Olympian, Griner is wrapping up her second WNBA regular season since returning to the United States. Of course, the 6’9 center was held in Russian prison for 10 months after being convicted of smuggling and possession of cannabis. But with that high-profile ordeal behind her, Griner and the Mercury have their collective sights on the franchise’s first league title in a decade.
The Mercury have one remaining contest before commencing the postseason versus the Minnesota Lynx this weekend. Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook has Minnesota as a 10-point home favorite for the playoff’s opening tilt.
It remains to be seen if Griner will incur any suspension for Tuesday’s “fight” in LA.