“Not a Crime”: Stephen A. Smith Calls Out A’ja Wilson Over Technical Foul in Aces’ Game 2 Loss to Fever

On Tuesday night, A’ja Wilson lost the battle on the court as well as off the court after what was a heated exchange between her and an Indiana Fever fan that went overboard. The four-time MVP is currently under scrutiny for her reaction, as none other than ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith joins the discussion.

The NBA analyst is the latest to side with the Fever fan, as Smith, who believes A’ja Wilson is the best player in the world, stated that Wilson was in the wrong for drawing attention to a matter that was not required to be extended in the first place.

“I think that particular instance, based on what we saw on camera and what the arena stated after the investigation into the matter. I think it looks like an overreaction.”

“You know, when you tangle with another player, a fan standing up and pointing at you is not a crime. He’s a fan of the opposing team. What did you mean? He was walking towards you or approaching you,” Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s First Take.

This out-of-character incident from Wilson occurred in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, when she was attempting to overpower a screen set by Sophie Cunningham. Following the sequence, there was a foul called on Cunningham, who fell flat on the floor.

While Cunningham was protesting against the foul, Wilson was walking towards the basket. That’s when a Fever fan got up from his chair and pointed at Wilson, seemingly exclaiming that the foul should have been on the Aces star, not the other way around, and Wilson lost her cool.

A’ja Wilson did not take this gesture from the fan kindly and immediately stepped out of the hardwood to confront him, until she was stopped by her teammates just as quickly. Instead, Wilson received a technical foul following this altercation.

“It seems like if you look at her, she’s all the way on the court and she’s really walking towards him and then steps into him just because he stands there and points. What is he doing? What I don’t understand. What is he doing?

“She’s the one coming over there like that, but that’s her. That’s not him. Respectfully, what did he do?”

As Smith also pointed out, the arena security did not view the fan’s reaction as anything noteworthy. The Fever itself released a statement after the game, basically confirming that no action would be taken as the fan did not violate any rules.

“Security determined there was no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct; the fan was not removed from the arena. We consider the matter closed.” The Fever said, via The Athletic’s James Boyd.

But Wilson was not of that opinion, because she revealed in the postgame press conference that she felt disrespected by the fan’s actions towards her.

“If I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a d*** what you said… You don’t know me to step toward me and point at me. I’m not for that s*** at all… That there is unacceptable.”

However, Simith wasn’t the only one who scrutinized the 2025 WNBA MVP’s actions. Broadcaster Robin Lundberg also sided with the fan, saying what Wilson did looked like an overreaction in his YouTube video where he discussed the incident at length.

Regardless, A’ja Wilson now needs to move on from this incident as she and the Aces have bigger fish to fry. With the Indiana Fever taking the W in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, both teams are tied 1-1.

The good news for Wilson and the Aces is that they travel back to the Michelob ULTRA Arena for Game 3 of the tie, a place where the four-time MVP is serenaded every night. With their immense playoff experience and amazing crowd support, the reigning champions will be looking forward to finishing things off against the Fever in style.

The post “Not a Crime”: Stephen A. Smith Calls Out A’ja Wilson Over Technical Foul in Aces’ Game 2 Loss to Fever appeared first on EssentiallySports.