The 10 Dirtiest Players in the WNBA: From Hard Fouls to Outright Chaos

Elbows, hair yanks, cheap shots, and even an eye poke that nearly triggered a brawl. The WNBA in 2024 has become more physical—and more controversial—than ever. What used to be tough, playoff-style basketball has at times crossed into something darker: reckless hits, dangerous fouls, and incidents that leave fans asking whether the league has a discipline problem.

We’ve broken down the Top 10 Dirtiest Players in the WNBA, ranked from borderline reckless to absolutely brutal. Some names you expect. Others may shock you. And trust us—you’re not ready for #1.

10. Angel Reese — Chicago Sky

The rookie phenom quickly found herself at the center of controversy when she was whistled for a flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark. On a block attempt, Reese’s arm followed through and connected with Clark’s head. In real time, it looked nasty. Slow motion made it worse.

Was it intentional? Reese insists it wasn’t. Clark herself agreed it wasn’t dirty, saying she knew Reese was just making a play. Still, the rulebook is clear—contact to the head is an automatic flagrant. Reese has embraced the villain role, but compared to what comes next, this was tame.

9. Chelsea Gray — Las Vegas Aces

Known as one of the smartest point guards in the game, Chelsea also plays with a physical edge. That edge turned ugly this season when a collision with Washington’s Jade Melbourne left Melbourne bloodied and missing part of a tooth.

The viral images of Melbourne smiling with a gap in her mouth were unforgettable. While Gray’s defenders say it was simply hard-nosed basketball, critics argue her aggressive style too often puts opponents in harm’s way.

8. DeWanna Bonner — Phoenix Mercury

Bonner has always been physical in the paint, but one incident nearly erupted into an all-out fight. After a collision with Angel Reese left Bonner clutching her eye on the floor, her fiancée Alyssa Thomas stormed across the court, sparking chaos.

Though Bonner wasn’t the aggressor, her presence often seems to attract mayhem. And in the WNBA’s increasingly tense battles, that makes her one of the most combustible figures in the league.

7. Chennedy Carter — Chicago Sky

The most infamous moment of Carter’s season? A cheap-shot shoulder check on Caitlin Clark before Clark even touched the ball. Clark hit the floor, and social media went into meltdown.

Carter refused to address it postgame, fueling speculation. Analysts called it “bush league.” And this wasn’t an isolated case—Carter has a history of suspensions and clashes. She’s electric when locked in, but her volatility keeps her under the “dirty player” spotlight.

6. Kelsey Plum — Los Angeles Sparks

It looked like something out of a Grayson Allen highlight reel. After getting crossed up by Dallas guard Veronica Burton, Plum stuck out her leg and tripped Burton mid-drive.

Burton went flying, immediately confronted Plum, and chaos nearly broke out. Fans torched Plum online, labeling her “the WNBA’s Grayson Allen.” The refs upgraded the foul to flagrant, and her reputation took a major hit.

5. Jacy Sheldon — Connecticut Sun

This one may be remembered for years: Sheldon’s eye poke on Caitlin Clark.

Clark, working off a screen, suddenly grabbed her face in agony. The Fever’s offense collapsed. The Sun took control. Replays split opinion—was it an accident or a deliberate swipe? The refs called it a common foul, but fans weren’t convinced.

For Clark supporters, it became Exhibit A of the “targeting” she faces night after night.

4. Brittney Griner — Atlanta Dream

Griner’s physicality is legendary, but this season she made headlines for all the wrong reasons. During a game against the Fever, broadcast microphones allegedly caught her calling Caitlin Clark a “trash white girl.”

The clip spread online instantly, igniting a storm. The league’s silence only amplified backlash. Between her bruising play and this controversy, Griner has become one of the most polarizing players in women’s basketball today.

3. Alyssa Thomas — Phoenix Mercury

No list of physical WNBA players is complete without Thomas. But this year, she crossed the line in spectacular fashion. Battling for a rebound with Angel Reese, Thomas wrapped her arm around Reese’s neck and dragged her down in a chokehold.

Refs ejected her on the spot with a flagrant two. Fans debated endlessly—was she just holding ground, or did she snap? Either way, the clip looked brutal.

2. DiJonai Carrington — Connecticut Sun

Game 1 of the Fever-Sun playoffs turned ugly fast when Carrington poked Caitlin Clark in the eye. Clark struggled badly afterward, shooting just 4-of-17.

At first, it looked accidental. Then cameras caught Carrington laughing on the bench afterward. That clip went viral and fueled outrage. Resurfaced tweets only deepened suspicions of animosity. Fans called for suspension, but the league stayed silent—further fueling conspiracy theories about Clark being “targeted.”

1. Bria Hartley — Connecticut Sun

No debate here: Bria Hartley is the dirtiest player in the WNBA.

She’s pulled ponytails, scratched opponents, body-checked players out of frustration, and stood over injured rivals in mockery. The final straw? A brutal collision with Sophie Cunningham that left Cunningham injured and her family publicly blasting Hartley for dangerous play.

Hartley’s staggering 32 flagrant fouls this season cement her place at the top. Analysts say this isn’t toughness—it’s recklessness. Until the league intervenes, Hartley will remain the face of WNBA’s dirtiest plays.

Final Word

The WNBA is thriving like never before, but incidents like these raise real questions about player safety and league accountability. Physical basketball will always be part of the game. But when elbows, eye pokes, and chokeholds dominate headlines, the line between “tough” and “dirty” isn’t just blurred—it’s shattered.