Why Was Curt Miller Ejected? Sparks vs Sun Turns Ugly as 55YO Head Coach Puts WNBA Referee on Blast

On August 20th, Curt Miller brought his team, the Los Angeles Sparks, to play the first-ever WNBA game at the Boston Celtics’ iconic TD Garden. And the guests ensured to bring in their game right from the initial minutes. But all of that effort would go in vain as DiJonai Carrington led the Sun to a close 69-61 victory. Meanwhile, Sparks coach Curt Miller remained the standout.

As his team was losing, the 55-year-old head coach stormed onto the court in front of 19,100 fans. “That’s a foul, technical, and you’re gone,” said the commentator. According to Miller, it was a missed call by the referees, so he directly jumped into the arena to point it out. But nothing he expected happened. Instead, the TD Garden crowd started booing him on his way out. Was he really wrong?

Before drawing any conclusions, let’s look at what happened. Sparks’ Stephanie Talbot was stripped by opponents Marina Mabrey and Alyssa Thomas, who corralled the loose ball on the baseline. As evident from the video, Miller thought it was a foul as Thomas made her way down the court. So, he jumped in front of the referee in the middle of play.

Curt Miller, was quickly ejected after exchanging a few more words with the officials on his way off the court. The frustration that boiled over had been simmering since the middle of a 14-2 run by the Sun to close the game. During that span, the Sun’s defense forced four turnovers and blocked a shot in five possessions, leading to Miller’s ejection. Meanwhile, there was one person enjoying the moment.

Both the teams at TD Garden were Miller’s own

It was Sun’s guard DiJonai Carrington, who had a smirk on her face throughout. It seemed she enjoyed it when her former coach exited the game. “I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Connecticut, trying to achieve their first championship. I understand that so much,” shared Miller.

For him, the Connecticut Sun is a source of happy memories, as he led the team for six long seasons from 2016-2021 before taking over the Sparks. “I’m excited for them to have a game here and to know that the turnout they’re expecting is just special for that franchise, and the franchise is special to me,” he added.

As the game attracted a larger audience, Miller said he always knew the Sun had that potential. In fact, he saw the team as the WNBA’s most dominant franchise with the most underrated stars in the league. So, it wasn’t really the Sun that Miller targeted. Instead, it was the officials who made a wrong decision, which is why Sun’s guard smirked.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.