Minnesota Lynx Fans Ejected After Heckling Injured Opponent
A group of Minnesota Lynx fans were ejected from the team’s victory over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night after they were caught heckling Wings forward Satou Sabally following her ankle injury. The incident occurred during the fourth quarter of the Lynx’s 91-86 win at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Sabally rolled her left ankle when she landed on Lynx guard Bridget Carleton’s foot. As she lay on the court, Sabally turned her head to face a group of fans sitting nearby. According to Wings head coach Latricia Trammell, the fans were verbally expressing their delight at Sabally’s injury.
Trammell expressed her disappointment, stating, “I can handle a lot, and so can our players, as you know. But when Satou goes down, and you have someone in the stands that yells out, ‘I’m glad you’re hurt,’ there’s no place for that. [Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve] did apologize for that. Still doesn’t make it right … This league isn’t about that. And for someone to yell out that when Satou’s on the ground, crying, and someone yells out and says, ‘I’m glad you’re hurt, and then you’re probably faking it,’ there’s a problem.”
Although the exact number of ejected fans remains unclear, several were escorted out of the arena. Sabally took to Twitter after the game to express her disgust with the Lynx’s fan base, revealing that similar comments had been made throughout the entire game.
Coach Reeve acknowledged the fans’ inappropriate behavior and offered apologies to both Trammell and Sabally.
Lynx forward Napheesa Collier supported the ejections, stating, “Celebrating that is super inappropriate and not something that represents us as a team or as players. I did think that fan deserved to get kicked out because I don’t want that to represent who we are as Lynx.”
Despite leading for most of the game, the Lynx faced a tough challenge from the Wings in the final minutes. Sabally’s three free throws reduced the margin to three points, and Arike Ogunbowale’s step-back jump shot brought it to a single point with less than 20 seconds remaining.
Unfortunately for the Wings, they failed to score any more points. Kayla McBride and Collier sealed the Lynx’s five-point victory with four free throws in the final moments.
Sabally had an impressive performance for the Wings, leading the team with 22 points and seven assists. Ogunbowale contributed 20 points and seven assists, while Natasha Howard finished with 16 points. Despite only six points from the bench and 18 turnovers, the Wings put up a strong fight. Collier led the Lynx with 29 points, followed by McBride with 21 points and Carleton with 14 points off the bench.
The two teams, both closely ranked in the standings but trailing behind the Las Vegas Aces in the Western Conference by over 10 games, will face off again in Dallas on Thursday.