Malice In The Palace Part II: Detroit Shock Mug L.A Sparks Star Candace Parker

Coach Bill Laimbeer and his assistant Rick Mahorn have taken their “thug” way of playing basketball to the WNBA. Laimbeer is no stranger when it comes to hurting people during basketball games. He mugged the "Legend" Larry Bird in a 1987 playoff game, he has thrown people to the ground and was eager to be the “enforcer” when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen came swooping in for dunks in the during their championship runs in the 90's.  

Laimbeer can’t do this alone; he has to have some backup or an assassin, a person that watches the leaders back just in case times get rough. Enter Rick Mahorn. A street tough that may “laugh and joke, but don’t play” when it comes to playing basketball or protecting his players from harm.

Mahorn helped give the WNBA a “black eye” on national TV and now his team are the “Bad Girls” of the WNBA. The Detroit Shock and the LA Sparks got into a brawl that could have resembled the first “Malice at the Palace” if cooler heads hadn’t prevailed.

The Sparks Candace Parker got tangled up with Detroit’s Plenette Pierson in the waning moments of the game. It was clear that Pierson intentionally ran into Parker taking her to ground “Piston style”. It reminded me of the “Jordan” rules that the Detroit Pistons implemented to show Michael Jordan who is boss. Jordan, the upstart player that could dismantle any opposing defense, was checked at the door by the Pistons defensive schemes. Parker will perhaps reach Jordanesque heights with her fabulous basketball skills, dunking on people as she shreds all defenses in her way, however, the Shock were determined to introduce her to the league just as their big brothers did with Jordan.

Parker showing the same competitive fire Jordan displayed, threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled like a running-back by Detroit’s Deanna Nolan. Lisa Leslie-the legendary center for the Sparks tried to be a peace maker, but for her efforts she received a “love tap” from Coach Rick Mahorn. Mahorn said: “I was trying to protect the whole game, the integrity of the game," he said. "The WNBA is very special to me because I have four daughters. I don't even raise my hand to them, and I would never push a woman. This game, I love this game too much."

Rick, I hope you realize that you are a monstrous man and shoving the 170 pound Leslie to the ground may not have been the best idea to "protect the game". What did you think she would do, absorb the blow? I think you’re strong enough to just restrain her. But shoving her to the ground…well…I don’t about that one.

"That was unfortunate, but things like that happen in basketball sometimes," Milton-Jones said. "The league is going to have to decide what kind of action to take."

You can say that again! The league will definitely issue fines out and I expect a few suspensions: Pierson for trying to take out the “Future”-Candace Parker, DeLisha Milton-Jones should get a game or two for hitting Mahorn in the back, Parker should be suspended for throwing a punch even though most of us in that situation would have reacted similarly and Mahorn should be fined and suspended for his “Beanie Wells stiff-arm”.

Out of this melee, the Detroit Shock brought some swagger to the league that it was sorely lacking. The WNBA needed a shot in the arm to boost viewer-ship - albeit not the one that they were looking for, but nonetheless they got it. The NBA thrived when the league had rivalries that pulled the viewers in and made them pick a side. The NBA played up the good vs. bad plots with teams such as Boston (good) versus Detroit (bad) or the Jordan lead Bulls (good) versus Patrick Ewing’s Knicks (bad).

The rivalry between the L.A Sparks and the Detroit Shock has gotten bitter and as a casual fan, a game between these two teams in the championship could definitely peak my interest.