A’ja Wilson’s confrontation with an Indiana Fever fan during Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs has taken another turn after a lip reader offered an interpretation of their exchange. Nina Celeste claimed the fan appeared to tell Wilson, “It’s on you. That’s on you,” before Wilson responded to his pointing. The video also appears to show former Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaking to the fan. However, Celeste warned that lip reading cannot be treated as completely accurate. Wilson received a technical foul after confronting the fan, while the Fever later determined he had not violated its conduct rules.
Nina Celeste gives her reading of A’ja Wilson and Fever fan exchange
The incident happened with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game 2 between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever.Wilson had been involved in a physical play with Cunningham, who was called for a foul. As Wilson walked toward the baseline, a Fever fan behind the basket stood up and pointed in her direction.According to lip reader Nina Celeste, the fan appeared to say:“It’s on you. That’s on you.”Wilson then appeared to respond:“You’re gonna point at me? You don’t point at me. You do not point at this.”Celeste also offered an interpretation of what Cunningham appeared to say during the exchange:“B—-, who the f—- do you think you are?”Those words have not been confirmed by Wilson, the fan or Cunningham. Celeste herself noted that her reading should not be considered completely accurate. That is important because the video does not provide a clear recording of the conversation.What is clear from the footage is that Wilson removed her mouthguard and moved toward the fan after he pointed at her. Aces teammates and arena personnel stepped in before the situation could go further. Wilson was given a technical foul.
A’ja Wilson defends her reaction as Sophie Cunningham responds
Wilson later explained why she reacted so strongly. She said she was simply walking after the foul when the fan moved toward her and pointed.“I try to play my game, keep it pushing. But if I’m just walking, ‘cuz I just got the foul, I’m chilling. And if I see a man come at me, taking steps towards me and pointing at me, I don’t give a d— what you said, I don’t give a d— how you said it, the tone; that is unacceptable.”She added:“You don’t step towards me. You never should step and point at me. I’m not for that s—- at all.”Wilson apologized to her teammates for the technical foul but continued to defend her response to the fan. The fan was briefly removed from his seat, but Indiana later determined that he had not broken its Fan Code of Conduct and allowed him to return.Cunningham later appeared to reference the incident on social media. She posted a video with the caption, “according to the rule book….” She also wrote, “[If you know you know]… yikes!”Her comments appeared to connect the situation to her own history with the pointing gesture. During a June 22 game against the Phoenix Mercury, Cunningham became known for pointing at DeWanna Bonner during a confrontation.The new lip-reading video has added another detail to the Game 2 incident, but it does not settle exactly what was said between Wilson and the fan. For now, that part of the confrontation remains an interpretation rather than a confirmed account.