Lisa Leslie Calls Out Brittney Griner’s Flagrant Foul to the Face at Unrivaled

WNBA legend Lisa Leslie made it clear how she would have reacted to a flagrant foul Brittney Griner committed on Aliyah Boston at Unrivaled.

Nov 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Former NBA player and olympic athlete Lisa Leslie speaks during a DEI Summit ahead of the 2024 NWSL Championship match at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

For the most part Unrivaled seems like a chill vibe for top WNBA stars. The 3x3 league offers generous salaries, a central location in Miami, and focuses on player development. But in the heat of competition, chill can get spicy very quickly.

This was the case earlier in the week when Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey got in each other's faces during a contest between Vinyl and Lunar Owls, and was certainly so on Friday as Aliyah Boston and Brittney Griner battled during a game between Vinyl and Phantom.

Marina Mabrey and Courtney Williams were assessed double-techs after this scuffle 👀 pic.twitter.com/9Yn0Dx5jNs

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 20, 2026

The latter matchup eventually led to a flagrant foul committed by Griner. She and Boston were fighting for position on the block late in the third quarter leading to a foul call away from the ball. On the next possession, both players were battling for a rebound and Griner's right arm wound up raking Boston across the face—leading to a flagrant foul call.

Lisa Leslie Says She Would Have Punched Griner

Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) reacts after a call Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, during Game 2 of a WNBA playoff matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following the foul, WNBA legend and Unrivaled analyst Lisa Leslie got very blunt about how she would have reacted if she was in Boston's position on the receiving end of the flagrant from Griner.

"Listen, I think that was extra and I think it's excessive and if that was my face I probably would have punched her," Leslie said.

AB and BG get tangled on one play. On the next, BG is called for a flagrant on AB.

Lisa Leslie on the BG foul: "If it was my face, I probably would've punched her." 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/OrvbQrGczF

— zavanté.⋆♱ (@zavanchy) January 24, 2026

Leslie went on to state her stance was due to the foul not being a play on the ball, before emphasizing that Boston's kind temperament surely led to her handling it differently than she would have.

"But don't ask me, y'all brought me here. I'll tell you the truth. It's a foul because that follow through is not your normal follow through. It's one thing to try to block my shot at the top, but it's a whole other to scrape across my face," Leslie added.

Competitive Moments Are Good for Unrivaled

Mar 17, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Rose BC guard Chelsea Gray (12) celebrates with guard Brittney Sykes (20) after winning the Unrivaled Championship game against Vinyl BC at Wayfair Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

While Griner's foul on Boston was indeed excessive, the competition picking up at Unrivaled is good for the fledgling league overall.

It's no secret that Unrivaled has not gotten off to a strong ratings start in season 2 , but these sorts of interactions can lead to viral moments, and the league has seen an increase in social media impressions—which they must hope will eventually turn into viewers.

Regardless of viewership numbers, many of the best women's basketball players in the world are competing at Unrivaled, complete with Leslie calling it like she sees it on commentary.