Aces star A'ja Wilson reportedly avoids WNBA punishment following confrontation with fan

The WNBA will not reportedly fine or suspend A’ja Wilson after the forward confronted a fan during the Las Vegas Aces‘ Game 2 loss to the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Field house on Tuesday.

According to The Athletic’s Annie Costabile and Chantel Jennings, the game officials determined that Wilson was still in the court area when she approached the fan and not in the stands. That was why she did not end up getting ejected. The high-pressure situation of it being a playoff game was also a factor that the league took into consideration when determining whether to dole out punishment.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Wilson was trying to fight through a screen set by Sophie Cunningham when the two got tangled up. Cunningham was sent down to the court hard, and was called for a foul.

But as Wilson was walking down the lane after play had stopped, she suddenly erupted at a fan sitting behind the basket. Wilson had to be pulled back by several teammates and officials. It’s unclear what was actually said by the fan to spark the exchange, but Wilson was livid.

Wilson was assessed a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct and could have been kicked out.

“Any coach, player, or trainer who deliberately enters the spectator stands during the game will be automatically ejected,” states the WNBA rulebook. But the first row of fans is what is considered the beginning of the “spectator stands.”

The fan was removed from his seat briefly, but returned soon after and was spotted celebrating with people sitting around him, according to Fever reporter Tony East.

Wilson said that she apologized to her team for the technical foul, but she’s not sorry for her actions.

“If I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said. I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone, that is unacceptable,” Wilson said after the game. “You don’t know me to step towards me and point at me. I’m not for that s*** at all. … That there is unacceptable. How he gets back in the game because they said he didn’t do anything, of course he did.

“It’s just certain things that I’m not going to allow anymore, because it’s just unacceptable. You don’t know me at all to come and step towards me and point at me and say anything.”

“If I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said. I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone, that is unacceptable,” Wilson said after the game. “You don’t know me to step towards me and point at me. I’m not for that s*** at all. … That there is unacceptable. How he gets back in the game because they said he didn’t do anything, of course he did.

“It’s just certain things that I’m not going to allow anymore, because it’s just unacceptable. You don’t know me at all to come and step towards me and point at me and say anything.”

The Fever released a statement on the incident after the game, saying they are not going to investigate the matter further. The fan in question, they said, did not violate their rules and was allowed to return.

Once the game resumed, the Fever held on down the stretch to grab the 10-point win to even the series and force a deciding Game 3 on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Caitlin Clark had 27 points and 15 assists to lead the Fever while shooting 9-of-18 from the field. Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points, and Aliyah Boston finished with 22 points. Jackie Young led the Aces with 31 points in the loss, and Wilson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.

The winner will advance to the semifinals and face either the Golden State Valkyries or Dallas Wings. That best-of-3 series is tied 1-1.