Five Sparks players and five Detroit Shock players, along with Shock
assistant coach Rick Mahorn, are suspended after on-court melee.

By Dan Arritt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer July 25, 2008

The WNBA suspended five Sparks players, including Candace
Parker and Lisa Leslie, and five Detroit Shock players and assistant
coach Rick Mahorn Thursday for their involvement in an on-court fight
in Tuesday's game.

As a result, the Sparks were without four starters, including Olympians
Parker, Leslie and DeLisha Milton-Jones for their game against the
Connecticut Sun on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sparks
lost, 87-61, to the Sun.

Parker, Leslie and Milton-Jones were suspended one game each for
throwing punches toward the end of a 84-81 victory over the Shock, and
starting point guard Shannon Bobbitt and reserve forward Murriel Page
were suspended two games for leaving the bench area and making contact
with Mahorn.

Page's suspension will begin tonight at New York. Shock forward
Plenette Pierson received a four-game suspension and Mahorn was
suspended two games for escalating the altercation.  Four other players
from the Shock were suspended one game for leaving the bench area.

"None of us can recall an incident like this, " WNBA President Donna
Orender said.

Said Parker: "It was just emotions spilling over and I was just happy
that we came out with the victory."

Sparks Coach Michael Cooper said, "You have to play the game by the
rules and anybody that came off the bench or threw a punch, you have to
live with the repercussions."

The skirmish began with 4.6 seconds left in Tuesday's game.  Pierson,
standing next to Parker as Sparks guard Marie Ferdinand-Harris shot a
free throw, forcefully slid her hip into Parker. They tangled arms as
they headed up court, causing both players to fall.  Pierson quickly
rose to her feet and stood over Parker, who then pulled Pierson to the
ground.

"[Pierson] was clearly the aggressor, " Orender said.

As both benches emptied, Leslie came to Parker's aid but was restrained
by Mahorn.  Leslie appeared to take a right-hand swing at Mahorn, who
put his left hand out, causing Leslie to fall.

Milton-Jones then slapped Mahorn in the back, and Bobbitt and Page
pushed him in the chest.

"As a team, we're incensed that Rick Mahorn was suspended, " Detroit
Coach Bill Laimbeer told the Associated Press.

Renee Brown, vice president of player personnel for the WNBA, said that
Mahorn was initially the peacemaker, but "he just took it a step too
far.  When he pushed Lisa down, it escalated the situation."

Shock forward Cheryl Ford re-injured her right knee while pulling
Pierson away from the fracas and suffered a season-ending torn
ligament.

Detroit, without its suspended players, lost to Houston, 79-61, on
Thursday.

dan.arr...@latimes.com