WNBA Lays The Suspension Smackdown On The L.A. Sparks And Detroit Shock

The first brawl in WNBA history is going to be costly for both teams. 10 players were suspended including Detroit Shock Assistant Coach Rich Mahorn. beyond the suspensions, the Detroit Shock suffered the most by losing star Cheryl Ford for the season. She suffered an ACL tear injury trying to help end the brawl. She will be a glaring reminder for the remainder of the season about the stupidity of the fight.

I'm sorry, I don't care if Lisa Leslie flopped or was pushed, WNBA coaches who are male and former NBA players need to be really careful in cases like this. You keep your butt on the bench and let the referees handle it! And I'm not appreciating Plenette Pierson being made the fall-girl here. She is not a female version of Ron Artest. This incident was fueled by her coach Bill Laimbeer's coaching philosophy of "get tough" and he should bear the responsibility of his coaching.

The WNBA also bears some responsibility for this as well. WNBA referees are absolutely horrible. Bad calls and missed calls all add to tension on the court. The teams that are the top of the WNBA have great parity and poor refereeing affects the players attitudes and the outcome of the game. This is an issue that must be addressed!

And the level of attention this incident is getting also proves that the WNBA needs a completely new marketing strategy and campaign for the future of the organization.