Los Angeles Sparks forward DeArica Hamby was ejected from a WNBA game after throwing an elbow into the face of Connecticut Sun center Raegan Beers in Los Angeles.
The incident occurred early in the fourth quarter as Hamby and Beers battled in the paint for a rebound. Game officials assessed a Flagrant 2 foul on Hamby, which results in an automatic ejection and a $1,000 fine under league rules.
Although a Sparks teammate had a clear and easy opportunity to grab the rebound, Hamby threw a wild elbow that struck Beers directly in the face. The Connecticut player fell to the court in pain following the hit.
Despite losing Hamby, the Sparks held on to win the game 77-68, ending a six-game losing streak. At the time of her ejection, Hamby had recorded 10 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Retaliation Claims and Social Media Exchange
Following the game, Hamby insisted her elbow was a reaction to Beers striking her first. After a user on social media platform X urged Hamby to set a better example for her daughter, the forward defended her actions online.
Hamby replied: "if somebody intentionally punch my kid in her ribs/stomach I hope she does more than that!!!!!!" She also encouraged users to examine alternative video angles of the sequence.
Replays from an under-basket camera showed Beers striking Hamby in the stomach with an open palm, after which the Sparks forward was seen clutching her midsection in pain. Beers then delivered an elbow to Hamby's back seconds before Hamby threw her own elbow.
The flagrant foul was Hamby's first of the season and her first ejection. WNBA rules specify that committing two additional Flagrant 1 fouls or one more Flagrant 2 foul will trigger a one-game suspension, while a Flagrant 1 followed by a Flagrant 2 results in a two-game suspension.
League Physicality and Recent Hard Fouls
The altercation is the latest hard foul in the league, though commentators noted it may prove less controversial than previous incidents this season.
Earlier this month, WNBA games were swept up in controversy when Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington committed a hard foul on Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham. Carrington faced heavy backlash, with critics calling the foul assault and others suggesting it was a premeditated attack linked to Cunningham's public comments opposing transgender participation in women's sports.
The Women's National Basketball Association, founded in 1996 as North America's premier women's professional basketball league, comprises 12 teams including the Sparks and the Sun.
