Brittney Griner walks away from interview, hurls F word at referee amid Caitlin Clark racial slur row
Brittney Griner's frustration over officiating steals the spotlight during the Atlanta Dream's victory over the Dallas Wings.
The Atlanta Dream picked up their second win of the 2025 WNBA season on Saturday, beating the Dallas Wings 83-75.
While the Dream pulled away in the second half, much of the spotlight was on Brittney Griner, who’s averaging just under 15 points and seven rebounds per game this season, and was off to a solid start.
By late in the third quarter, she had already tallied 15 points and seven boards. But it wasn’t her stats that had people talking during the CBS Sports broadcast.
ALSO READ| Brittney Griner appears to hurl racist slur, F-bomb at Caitlin Clark; fans demand WNBA investigation
During a live halftime interview, instead of breaking down her game or offering the usual commentary, Griner’s attention shifted elsewhere. She spotted the referees walking by and made a beeline straight to them.
Clearly unhappy with some of the first-half officiating, she didn't hold back.“Be f**king better,” she was heard saying at the end of her exchange with the refs.
Griner’s fiery ref outburst sparks social uproar
Fans were quick to take this to socials. “Saw this live thank you for clipping this I was laughing so hard,” one posted.
“Worst trade in US history,” another commented.
“I don’t agree with Griner on how she handled this and what she did to the refs but I totally get her frustration. Watching these #WNBA already this season officiating is atrocious and egregious. Griner is just willing to actually say something,” one said.
Griner returned to her interview and turned to CBS's broadcast team, including analyst Renee Montgomery and sideline reporter Angel Gray, to offer a quick, candid apology. “Sorry, y’all.”
ALSO READ| Caitlin Clark says it was too loud to hear alleged racial comments but supports WNBA investigation
Notably, earlier, the Dream star poked another social uproar when a video of hurling a racist slur came to notice. Netizens speculated that her “trash f**king white girl” comment was targeted at Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
This is Griner’s first year with the Dream after being on the Phoenix Mercury her whole career. In 2022, she was prevented from continuing with that franchise after being arrested in Russia and charged with smuggling, due to hash oil traces. She was later cleared and returned to the US.
