...
By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Things got a bit heated during the latest battle between the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings on Sunday, as Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles had a verbal exchange on the court.
During the game's second quarter, the Wings' Bueckers and Lynx's Miles started to jaw at one another, with Bueckers seeming to take exception to something that happened on the court.
An official was between the two players on the court, so things didn't escalate further, and Miles was gesturing with her hands, possibly suggesting she wasn't trying to have a physical altercation.
Read More on Sports
"I'm not trying to start anything," Miles said at a post-game media session when a reporter asked her about "having a little bit of reputation for talking some smack in the league."
"I usually just kind of get triggered by something, and then I kinda don't wanna get punked out there just because I'm a rookie, so I try to hold my own," she said. "It's not who I wanna be, it's just kinda the competitiveness in me, and yeah, I just try to respond."
More news: Dream Coach Calls Out WNBA Officials Over Angel Reese Disrespect After Loss
...
The game featured additional chippy moments, including Miles colliding with the Wings' Jessica Shepard in the second quarter, which seemed to be what prompted Bueckers to have words with the Lynx rookie.
Miles fell to the court after the collision and had to adjust her glasses as she got up. A highlight clip shows Bueckers seeming frustrated with her and asking the rookie what she was going to do.
Things didn't escalate further at that moment, but later in the game, Dallas's Maddie Siegrist delivered a hard foul on Miles, who was driving for a layup. The referees issued Siegrist a Flagrant Foul 1 for the aggressive hit.
The heated exchange and foul call in this game arrived after last week's aggressive move by the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas on the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, which ultimately resulted in backlash about the league's officiating.
Thomas received a Flagrant Foul 2 and a one-game suspension after the league reviewed the play, which referees didn't call a foul for during the game. Various coaches have criticized the WNBA officiating and the league's handling of their various calls since then, including Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko, who suggested star player Angel Reese deserves more respect.
Minnesota went on to win Sunday's game, 85-77, to move to 15-4 this season, with their star player, Napheesa Collier, on the sidelines recovering from injury. Miles, who has emerged as a clear frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year, finished with 21 points, eight assists, three rebounds, a block, and a steal in the win.
More news: Mercury Star Gets Honest on Alyssa Thomas Suspension for Caitlin Clark Play
For more about the WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines