Photo: Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty
Diggins-Smith, 31, was sitting on the end of the bench during a team huddle when she became visibly frustrated and stood up, moving towards Taurasi, 39, while they exchanged words.
Taurasi then stood up, prompting teammates and coaches to separate the two before the encounter turned physical. The incident — which was caught on thegame’s broadcast— sparked questions over the team’s chemistry off the court.
Still, Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard didn’t seem too concerned about the ordealwhen addressing it in her postgame interview. “People play sports with a lot of passion and so we’ve seen it,” Nygaard told reporters. “We’re not the first team to have any kind of arguments or disagreements on the bench. We’ve seen it throughout the NBA and other leagues this season.”
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Nygaard explained that the display of frustration was the result of her team’s passion for the game. “This is their lives, this is the game they love, and there’s a lot going on,” she said. “The players, they play hard, they play with passion.”
The Mercury did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the Diggins-Smith and Taurasi exchange.
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In addition to Tuesday’s frustrating loss, the Mercury are competing in this WNBA season without star playerBrittney Griner. Griner, 31, has beendetained in Russiasince February.
“Our team has even more going on with the BG situation too. That isn’t something that goes away for us,” Nygaard said to reporters.
Griner’s arrest has been a disheartening situation for the entire league, with players continuing to show their support for the athlete in any way they can. Most recently, all 12 WNBA teams branded their courts with a special decal to honor Griner for the 2022 season.
The Mercury will have a chance to get back in the win column when they host theDallas Wingson Thursday night.
source: people.com
