Sue Bird Calls for Hidalgo-Miles Rematch After Viral WNBA Tunnel Encounter
The women’s basketball world is buzzing after a video surfaced showing a heated exchange between Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and former teammate, now TCU guard, Olivia Miles, in the tunnel of a WNBA preseason game. The May 4th incident, captured without audio, sparked intense speculation among fans and analysts alike, leaving many to interpret the players’ body language and gestures. The encounter, characterized by visible frustration and intense emotion from both sides, quickly went viral.
Adding fuel to the fire, WNBA legend Sue Bird weighed in on the situation during a May 8th episode of “A Touch More,” her podcast with fiancée Megan Rapinoe. Instead of offering conjecture about the content of the conversation, Bird issued a straightforward plea: “I would just like to say: if TCU and Notre Dame do not play a game [this season], they need to schedule a game as soon as possible. As soon as possible. Everybody wants to see it. Please.”
Bird’s call for a rematch highlights the widespread interest generated by the brief, yet captivating, encounter. The lack of audio only intensified the intrigue, fueling various interpretations of the players’ nonverbal communication. The incident has transcended the usual post-game analysis, becoming a topic of conversation far beyond the confines of women’s basketball circles.
Rapinoe, while unable to decipher the conversation through lip-reading, echoed the sentiment of wanting more information. “I am not a lip reader, so I don’t know what I saw. I want more of it, though. I need to know exactly what happened,” she stated. Bird, however, acknowledged the impossibility of definitively knowing the details, concluding, “Well, we’re never gonna know.”
Despite the mystery surrounding the exact words exchanged, the incident has undeniably elevated the anticipation for a potential matchup between Hidalgo and Miles’ respective teams. Bird’s public call for a game underscores the captivating nature of the viral video and the widespread desire to witness a potential on-court resolution to whatever transpired in that WNBA tunnel. The incident serves as a reminder of the intense passions and rivalries within women’s basketball, even extending beyond the collegiate level. The intrigue surrounding the undisclosed conversation promises to keep the debate alive until – and perhaps even beyond – a potential Hidalgo-Miles showdown on the court.
