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UPDATED: Tiffany Hayes, Breanna Stewart exchange words over hair pull

By Howard Megdal

SEATTLE, WA - May 09: Breanna Stewart #30 poses for a portrait during the Seattle Storm Media Day on May 09, 2018 at Key Arena Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - May 09: Breanna Stewart #30 poses for a portrait during the Seattle Storm Media Day on May 09, 2018 at Key Arena Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Two of the WNBA’s best players take their conflict to Twitter.

In a case of UConn-on-UConn crime, Tiffany Hayes and Breanna Stewart had an exchange of words online after Hayes appeared to pull Stewart’s hair during Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Dream and the Seattle Storm.

With 7:47 left in the third quarter, the two players were part of a scrum for the ball near midcourt. Here’s the video evidence of what followed.

The no-call led to an opportunity at the basket, where Natasha Howard, as is now her custom, ended the possession with a blocked shot.

Here’s another angle on the play. Did Hayes pull Stewart’s hair on purpose? The Seattle Storm announcers certainly seem to think so.

Hayes herself took to Twitter to grouse about the announcers accusing her of intent.

Hayes immediately drew the backing of her head coach, Nicki Collen, a master motivator and Twitter connoisseur.

However, the tweet also drew the attention of the player whose hair appeared to get pulled, and Stewart herself decided to weigh in.

While Stewart and Hayes both played at Connecticut, they did not overlap—Hayes was the 14th pick in the 2012 draft, while Stewart, after winning four championships in four years, was the top overall selection in 2016.

The battle reflected the intensity of Sunday’s game, won by Atlanta, 67-64. Hayes finished with 23 points, en route to capturing the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.

Stewart finished with 12 points, but her 20.4 points per game still ranks fourth in the league so far this season.

The two teams will face off again in Atlanta on July 6. In the meantime, since Stewart’s tweet led to this song getting lodged in my brain, you all can enjoy it as well.

At time of publication, Marlo Thomas had not weighed in on the play in question, nor had I reached out to her for comment.

UPDATE [June 12, 11:38 AM EST]: The war of words between Breanna Stewart and Tiffany Hayes is over.

Hayes responded to Stewart’s “that girl” with this tweet late Monday afternoon.

Stewart, tacitly, answered Hayes with a like of that tweet.

The foremost diplomatic achievement of the week has thus been achieved. Still no word from Marlo Thomas.

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