Las Vegas Aces star forward A’ja Wilson lost her composure during the closing stages of Tuesday night’s loss to the Indiana Fever.
The Aces had a chance to advance to the second round of the WNBA playoffs, but Caitlin Clark powered the Fever to a Game 2 victory at home with 27 points and 15 assists. With four minutes remaining in regulation, Wilson confronted a Fever fan who was sitting behind the baseline.
Wilson, a four-time MVP, said the fan stepped towards her after the whistle was blown. She was ultimately assessed a technical foul for her behavior on the court. The fan, meanwhile, was temporarily removed from his seat.
“If I see a man come at me, taking steps towards me and pointing at me… I don’t give a [expletive] what you said,” Wilson said. “It’s unacceptable.”
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images.
While some fans defended Wilson’s actions Tuesday night, others thought she was completely out of line.
“Basically berated a fan for being a fan. A’ja is a baby,” one fan said.
“In other words, Wilson completely overreacted but nobody’s allowed to say that because not only does she have a special whistle, but she never does anything wrong. She should’ve been thrown out of the game,” a second fan wrote.
“She takes the high road too much,” another fan commented.
“I’m with A’ja. I knew it was the fact that he was taking steps towards her,” another fan replied.
What’s next for the Fever and Aces?
Despite all the commotion on the court, the Fever said this fan didn’t violate their code of conduct. As a result, they weren’t asked to leave Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Following a report of a comment directed toward a player, arena security spoke with the fan involved and witnesses,” the team said. “Security determined there was no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct, the fan was not removed from the arena. We consider the matter closed.”
This series will resume Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
