Rick Mahorn knocks Lisa Leslie (9) to the floor during Tuesday's WNBA skirmish. (Jerry S. Mendoza/Associated Press)

The WNBA is looking into Tuesday's skirmish involving the Detroit Shock, Los Angeles Sparks and former NBA player Rick Mahorn, now an assistant coach for the Shock.

"The WNBA is reviewing the incident in its entirety," WNBA spokesman Ron Howard said Wednesday.

A melee is a rarity in women's pro basketball, but players and coaches from both teams engaged in a spirited scuffle with 4.6 seconds left in Tuesday's tilt, won 84-81 by the Sparks.

"I haven't seen something like that, per se, I don't think in my whole career," said forward Katie Smith, who topped the Shock with 20 points.

"Things like that happen in basketball sometimes," Sparks forward DeLisha Milton-Jones figured. "The league is going to have to decide what kind of action to take."

Sparks rookie forward Candace Parker, the sister of Toronto Raptors guard Anthony Parker, was fouled hard by Shock forward Cheryl Ford, and the two had to be separated.

When Parker got tangled up with Shock forward Plenette Pierson on the next possession, she threw a punch at Pierson and was tackled by Deanna Nolan — kicking off the skirmish.

Mahorn then shoved Sparks centre Lisa Leslie to the floor, and he was subsequently punched in the back by Milton-Jones.

"I don't even know why he was pushing me down," Leslie said. "I wasn't swinging or hitting anybody.

"I was just going to help my teammate up."

'I would never push a woman'

"I was trying to protect the whole game, the integrity of the game," Mahorn explained. "The WNBA is very special to me because I have four daughters.

"I don't even raise my hand to them and I would never push a woman. This game, I love this game too much."

Mahorn was ejected, as were Parker, Pierson and Milton-Jones; Nolan and Sparks guard Shannon Bobbitt received technicals.

Further discipline if any, will be doled out Thursday by the league.

"I think Rick was trying to play peacemaker," Sparks head coach Michael Cooper said. "But he is just too big.

"I was only trying to grab my players and I didn't see exactly what happened. But apparently, he gently tried to push Lisa away."

Shock head coach Bill Lambeer claimed Mahorn "went out there to get people off the pile and to get people to stop the confrontation. That is who he is, that is what he does."

With files from the Associated Press