A’ja Wilson’s first preseason game of 2026 ended with a flagrant foul, blood at the mouth of a rival and a wave of criticism online. Wilson returned after missing the Japan game with an illness and scored 18 points with five rebounds, but the late-September tune-up turned rough when her elbow struck Alanna Smith in the face as Smith reached for a steal.
Smith, who had been listed as questionable before the game because of a quad injury, had blood dripping from her mouth after the collision. Officials initially whistled a foul, then upgraded it to a flagrant one after video review. Smith went to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the game, though she later came back to the sideline with an ice pack on her face. She had already made an impact before leaving, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting with seven rebounds in 12 minutes.
The response online was immediate. Fans called the play dirty and accused Wilson of going too far, with one writing, “Dirty play by the MVP,” and another saying, “Season didn’t start yet and Alanna Smith lost a tooth. @_ajawilson22 gotta relax damn.” Others pointed to the matchup itself, noting that Smith is Wilson’s co-Defensive Player of the Year after the two shared the award for the first time in history.
That backdrop mattered because this was not the first physical sequence between them in the game. Earlier, Wilson fell on Jessica Shepherd while trying to block a layup, another reminder that the preseason can still produce hard contact even if it usually comes with more whistles and less intensity than the regular season. Wilson and Smith are scheduled to face each other three times during the season, which gives the foul an early edge that will linger into later meetings.
Hammon said Smith would have played if the game were part of a playoff series, a line that underscored the contrast between preseason caution and in-game reality. Wilson finished with 18 points and five rebounds, but the play that drew the flagrant one became the day’s lasting image. The first meeting between the league’s shared Defensive Player of the Year winners did not stay an exhibition for long.