UNCASVILLE, Conn. — On Tuesday night, when the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx faced off in Game 2 of the WNBA semi-finals, Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey made headlines for some third-quarter trash talk.
Courtney Williams might just be the best trash talker in the WNBA
Williams went back-and-forth with Marina Mabrey in Tuesday’s game between the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun. But, for her, trash talking is never that deep: “That’s my dawg.”
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Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
“Told her she couldn’t guard me,” Williams said matter-of-factly after Minnesota’s 77-70 win, in which she helped lead the way with 17 points.
On Friday morning at shootaround, Williams grinned when asked about where she ranked among the league’s best trash-talkers.
“I’m up there,” Williams said. “I ain’t gonna say I’m the best, but I’m like a smooth trash talker.”
The key for Williams? Keeping things light, she said. Some players get personal, others get emotional. But Williams stays happy when she goes at other team’s competitors.
“Like, I don’t really get mad when I trash talk,” Williams said. “Some people trash talking — they be mad, out there playing mad. I trash talk, I’m still smiling and happy, so there’s different levels. Some people take themselves out of games when they start trash talking.”
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Williams and Mabrey very well could go after it again tonight when the Sun and Lynx run it back tonight in Game 3 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The duo goes way back: before they were fiery competitors battling in the WNBA semifinals, they were teammates and friends on the Chicago Sky.
“That’s my dawg now,” Williams said.
But, when the two teams face off at Mohegan Sun Arena tonight, that friendship will be put aside — and all Mabrey and Williams will be is competitors. Mabrey can sometimes handle her trash talk, Williams said jokingly, while making clear that for her it’s never a distraction.
“I know how to control my trash talk.”
Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman attested at shootaround that there are few trash-talkers in the WNBA who rival Courtney Williams.
“Courtney’s probably the most confident person I’ve done ever met,” Hiedeman said. “I’m not gonna lie, she could be 0 for 10. She’s still gonna talk, she’s still gonna pop it. But I think that just goes to show who she is as a person. She’s very, very confident.”
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Hiedeman’s said that Williams’ trash talk has been contagious for the Lynx, in a positive way.
“She instills that confidence in in everybody,” Hiedeman said. “So, man, I’m happy we on the same team, you know what I’m saying, because when she get to talking... but nah, she’s definitely a top five for sure.”
And, she attested that Williams’ back-and-forth never gets too heavy.
“To her, it’s a basketball game,” Hiedeman said. “So, everything that happens on this court stays on the court. Hers is more like — she’s going to talk, she’s going to let you know she’s here, but it’s nothing crazy.”
It’s important to note that Williams’ trash-talk isn’t limited to games — it comes out in practice, too.
And, when the Lynx are just hanging out.
“She talks all the time,” Hiedeman said. “She’ll probably talk when we go to breakfast. No matter to who.”
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