"She was trying to be dirty & sneaky" - WNBA fans lose it over Janelle Salaun's controversial ejection over flagrant foul on Jewell Loyd

Fans had plenty to say after Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun was tossed from Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces for a flagrant foul on Aces guard Jewell Loyd late in the second quarter.

The play happened with just over three seconds to go in the half, when Salaun gave Loyd a shoulder bump off the ball. Officials didn’t hesitate, immediately assessing her a flagrant 2, triggering an automatic ejection. The call sparked a wave of reactions online.

Some fans pointed out that Loyd had been playing physically all game, and Salaun just got caught for retaliating once.

“She was trying to be dirty & sneaky and get a lick back & got caught smh,” one said.

More fan takes followed:

“Absolutely no consistency from the Refs in the W!!!,” one commented.

“Funny how Salaun gets ejected for this but the times it’s been done on Caitlin Clark it’s okay,” another said.

By halftime, Loyd led the Aces in scoring with 13 points off the bench, while Salaun wrapped her short night with six points and three rebounds.

Per WNBA rules, a flagrant 2 means automatic ejection and suspension, and unless the league rescinds it, Salaun will miss Wednesday’s rematch against Las Vegas.

Jewell Loyd powers Aces to dominant win over Valkyries after blowout loss to Lynx

Las Vegas entered Sunday’s matchup still reeling from a brutal 111-58 beatdown by the Minnesota Lynx, where A’ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd combined for just 22 points on 21 shots, and no other Aces players scored in double figures. Meanwhile, the Valkyries came in riding a three-game win streak.

But this time, the Aces flipped the script and dominated from the jump, cruising to a 101-77 bounce-back win over Golden State, led by a 27-point explosion from Loyd.

Jewell Loyd shook off the earlier flagrant hit and torched the Valkyries with a game-high in scoring, tying a franchise mark with seven made 3s.

Jackie Young chipped in 20 points, eight assists and five boards, while A’ja Wilson added a double-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and four steals. Chelsea Gray rounded things out with 11 points, six assists and five rebounds.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro