Brittney Griner whistled for double technical, ejected after contacting referee

3448


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Brittney Griner headed to the locker room earlier than the rest of her Atlanta Dream teammates on Wednesday. 

The Atlanta center was ejected after a referee whistled her for two technical fouls in the second half. Griner was penalized for arguing with and physically contacting a game official. 

The dispute started after Griner attempted to secure a rebound that was contested by Dallas Wings guard Haley Jones. A foul was assigned to Griner, and she then approached the referee.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brittney Griner during a WNBA game

Brittney Griner, #42 of the Atlanta Dream, takes a pass as Luisa Geiselsoder #18 of the Dallas Wings defends during the first half at College Park Center on July 30, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The verbal exchange with the official quicklUy led to a technical foul. But shortly after the call, Griner appeared to bump the referee — which immediately drew the second technical. Under WNBA rules, a player is automatically removed from a game once they receive two technical fouls.

BRITTNEY GRINER HONORED IN PHOENIX RETURN, LEADS DREAM TO WIN OVER FORMER MERCURY

Griner quickly began walking towards the tunnel after she was ejected. She finished the game with four points and four rebounds.

Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner, #42 of the Atlanta Dream, reacts after being ejected from the game against the Dallas Wings during the second half at College Park Center on July 30, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Griner has appeared in 25 games so far in her first season with the Dream. The WNBA champion spent the first 11 seasons of her career with the Phoenix Mercury before signing with Atlanta this past offseason.

She entered Wednesday’s game averaging 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Those numbers represent career-lows for the 10-time WNBA All-Star.

Brittney Griner reacts

July 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas: Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) reacts after being ejected against the Dallas Wings during the second half at College Park Center. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)

Griner exited when Atlanta held a razor-thin lead over Dallas. The Dream managed to extend the lead in the fourth quarter, but the Wings responded with an 11-2 run. 

Dream forward Naz Hillmon made a clutch 3-pointer in the game’s final seconds to seal the 88-85 victory.

Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 selection in April’s WNBA Draft, finished the contest with a team-leading 21 points.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The win over the Wings pushed the Dream’s record to 16-11. Atlanta trails only the defending champion New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference standings.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





Source link