Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson was ejected from the team's June 6 WNBA game against the Atlanta Dream after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with officials about a foul call involving Mystics guard Alicia Florez Getino and Dream player Angel Reese. The incident occurred with 3:52 remaining in the third quarter at the team's home court [1, 2].
Johnson lost his temper over the call and continued disputing with referees despite warnings. Assistant coaches and player Kiki Iriafen attempted to restrain him but were unable to stop him from arguing further. Police officers then escorted Johnson off the court after he refused to cease his protest [1, 2].
After the game, Johnson acknowledged losing his cool but said officials "did what was appropriate." He told reporters, "I lost my cool. There’s nothing more than that. That’s it. Officials did what was appropriate, and that’s all I can say." He declined to discuss the matter further to keep focus on the players' performances [1].
The Atlanta Dream won the game 109-77, improving their season record to 7-3 while the Mystics fell to 4-5 [1, 2]. Angel Reese led the Dream with 18 points and 17 rebounds, including 7 offensive rebounds. Rhyne Howard added 19 points and 6 steals for Atlanta [1].
For Washington, Kiki Iriafen led all scorers with 24 points, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Sonia Citron scored 18 points [1].
Some fans questioned the need for police involvement given Johnson did not physically assault anyone, though officials stood by their decision to remove him from the game [2]. The Mystics will look to bounce back as they continue their season after the incident.
