A’ja Wilson made clear after Tuesday’s 99-89 loss to Indiana that her fourth-quarter technical foul came after an interaction she believed crossed a line.
Wilson said a fan near the baseline stepped toward her and pointed at her during a stoppage with 4:10 remaining. The sequence began after Sophie Cunningham fouled Wilson.
Officials assessed Wilson a technical foul. Kelsey Mitchell missed the technical free throw, then Wilson made both of her free throws to cut Indiana’s lead to 90-81.
“You will respect me”
Wilson said she usually tries to ignore outside noise and keep playing. However, she said the fan’s actions were unacceptable.
“You don’t step towards me,” Wilson said.
For Wilson, the issue went beyond whatever the fan may have said.
“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.
She later delivered her strongest message about the interaction.
“You don’t have to love me. You can hate me with all your heart. But you don’t know me. But I guarantee you will respect me.”
Wilson addresses technical
Wilson also acknowledged that receiving the technical put Las Vegas in a difficult position during its fourth-quarter comeback.
She said she apologized to her teammates for the technical. Still, Wilson added that there are certain things she will no longer allow.
The exchange came as the Aces tried to erase a double-digit deficit. Wilson finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three steals. She went 12-of-13 from the free throw line.
Las Vegas pulled within five points twice during the fourth quarter, including at 92-87 with 2:11 remaining. Indiana closed from there for the 99-89 win.
The loss evened the first-round series at 1-1.
Game 3 is Thursday, Oct. 1, at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. PT.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
