Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson entered Saturday’s road trip to Atlanta looking to build on a momentum-shifting 90-72 win over the Chicago Sky earlier in the week. The Mystics were chasing their first back-to-back wins of the season. Instead, the night ended with Johnson at the center of one of the most talked-about moments in the WNBA this year. What happened next stopped the entire game.
At the 3:52 mark of the third quarter, Johnson got into a heated exchange with the officiating crew. His outburst followed a foul call on Mystics guard Alicia Florez Getino after the rookie challenged Dream star Angel Reese’s layup attempt. Several Washington staff members stepped in to hold him back as he gave the crew an earful.
Forward Kiki Iriafen also rushed over to calm her coach down. He received two technical fouls and was ejected. As he walked off the court, he continued to go at officials, leading to a police escort. Three police officers came out to walk with Johnson, who at that point calmly left the court.
Postgame, Johnson kept it short. Said Johnson: “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.”
Iriafen, who led Washington with 24 points, defended her coach. Said Iriafen: “Coach always has our back. He’s going to do whatever to protect us. I was just trying my best to kind of diffuse it.”