When the Phoenix Mercury took on the Los Angeles Sparks, the stakes were lower for the Sparks, who had already been knocked out of playoff contention. But don’t be fooled—this game still packed a punch. What unfolded on the court turned out to be a major surprise, with Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson stealing the spotlight and providing plenty of excitement.

With just 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the game took a dramatic turn when veteran Brittney Griner and rookie Rickea Jackson clashed physically. Griner initially shoved Jackson with an elbow, leading to a tense stare-down between the two. As the game continued, Jackson appeared to exchange some choice of words with the Mercury star, who then charged at the Sparks rookie. Jackson had no choice but to back off as other players rushed in to defuse the escalating situation.

Despite Jackson’s escape from Griner’s fury, both players were ejected from the game following the confrontation. The I talk hoops tweeted the snippet from the game and wrote, “JUST IN: Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson have both been ejected following this exchange. #WNBA.” The Mercury were trailing by seven points when the incident happened.

While both of them were shown the exit early, Jackson made a brief, crowd-pleasing return. It looked like she was unaware of her ejection until the Sparks’ staff informed her. Once she realized, she promptly headed back to the locker room.

Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson’s impact before ejections

Before their early exits, both Griner and Jackson left their mark on the game. Griner, the Mercury veteran, played for 14 minutes and led her team with 14 points—still the highest score from the Mercury by the end of the game, tied with Sophia Cunningham’s 14 who played 30 minutes. The Mercury ultimately secured a win with an 85-81 victory.

On the flip side, Rickea Jackson, the No. 4 pick for the Sparks, managed to score eight points during her 20 minutes on the court. This marked Jackson’s first career ejection, a surprising turn for one of the league’s standout rookies. Before Tuesday’s game, Jackson was averaging 13.4 points per game on 46.4% shooting, along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. She ranks third among rookies in scoring, fourth in field goal percentage, and sixth in rebounding.

Right now, it’s uncertain if either Brittney Griner or Rickea Jackson will face additional penalties. Both teams are set to wrap up their regular seasons on Thursday night. The Mercury will go up against the Seattle Storm, while the Sparks will face the Minnesota Lynx. For the Sparks, this will mark the end of their season as they’re already out of playoff contention, sitting in last place. On the other hand, the Mercury, secured as the No. 7 seed, will gear up to face the Lynx in the first round of the playoffs.