Last night the WNBA became relevant for the third time ever and made the lead story on ESPN with a massive brawl between the Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock in the Motor City.  Candace Parker, Plenette Pierson, Delisha Milton-Jones and Shock coach Rick Mahorn were ejected from the game.

Mahorn was also involved in the NBA’s big brawl in Detroit several years ago when Ron Artest went into the stands after a fan.  Mahorn was the Detroit announcer who went into the stands to try to stop Artest.

Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Detroit’s Deanna Nolan. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, and Mahorn knocked Lisa Leslie to the court at one point.

“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.”

DeLisha Milton-Jones shoved and punched Mahorn after the incident with Leslie and was ejected, along with Mahorn, Parker and Pierson. Nolan and Shannon Bobbitt received technicals.

Shock star Cheryl Ford injured her knee trying to break up the fight.  She was hauled off the court in a wheel chair.

Some are already claiming the fight was staged by the WNBA for the benefit of the attention deprived and faltering league.  If this had happened with the men in the NBA, everyone would be going bonkers about how they were thugs and bad apples.  When women do it, it is considered hot, interesting and a positive thing for their league.

The worst fight in NBA and WNBA history is Detroit.  As if we already didn’t know something bad was in the water there.

View the Fight Video at ESPN