ESPN
The WLL women’s lacrosse championship game turned a little a bit ugly on Sunday afternoon when California Palms head coach Maddy Buss decided to take matters into her own hands with an opposing player.
Buss’s California Palms team squared off with the New York Charging in the league’s championship game. Late in the first half, New York led 9-7 when forward Kendall Halpern seemingly barrelled into Anna Brandt of the Palms, who then ran into teammate Jill Smith, causing them both to fall.
This was a WILD moment in the WLL Championship 😳@wllpalms head coach Maddy Buss went on the field and made contact with a @wllcharging player, drawing a two-minute penalty.
(via @wlacrosseleague, ESPN+) pic.twitter.com/Vun0X9ExN2
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) March 8, 2026
Maddy Buss Stepped Over The Line When Trying To Defend Her Player
Halpern then swung her stick and appeared to hit Smith in the head, which didn’t sit well with Buss. The Palms coach immediately stepped onto the field and seemingly shoved Halpern to the ground.
Somehow, Buss was only assessed a two-minute penalty for the incident and was not ejected from the game.
Miraculously, California was able to kill off the penalty without conceding a goal. However, it wasn’t enough to win the game as New York went on to claim an 18-11 victory.
“It’s good to have energy, but we’re gonna cool it a little bit,” Buss said in an interview following the incident. “We don’t want to play into that too much. That got crazy. I cannot go on the field. So, whatever they decide, we’ll roll with it. But I really just want everyone to be safe, and that was really unsafe.”
Buss isn’t wrong. Halpern’s move was unsafe, especially since women’s lacrosse players don’t wear helmets. But you cannot, under any circumstances, go on the field and accost a player. It’s a wonder she didn’t receive any further penalty or ejection.