Phoenix Mercury Stars Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith Separated by Teammates After Scuffle

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty

Phoenix Mercury players Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi had to be separated by teammates and coaches during a frustrating loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday.

Diggins-Smith, 31, was sitting on the end of the bench during a team huddle when she became visibly frustrated and stood up, moving towards Taurasi, 39, while they exchanged words.

Taurasi then stood up, prompting teammates and coaches to separate the two before the encounter turned physical. The incident — which was caught on the game's broadcast — sparked questions over the team's chemistry off the court.

Still, Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard didn't seem too concerned about the ordeal when addressing it in her postgame interview. "People play sports with a lot of passion and so we've seen it," Nygaard told reporters. "We're not the first team to have any kind of arguments or disagreements on the bench. We've seen it throughout the NBA and other leagues this season."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Nygaard explained that the display of frustration was the result of her team's passion for the game. "This is their lives, this is the game they love, and there's a lot going on," she said. "The players, they play hard, they play with passion."

The Mercury did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the Diggins-Smith and Taurasi exchange.

Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty

RELATED: Diana Taurasi Becomes Oldest Player with 30-Point Game in WNBA History in Mercury's Semifinal Win

In addition to Tuesday's frustrating loss, the Mercury are competing in this WNBA season without star player Brittney Griner. Griner, 31, has been detained in Russia since February.

"Our team has even more going on with the BG situation too. That isn't something that goes away for us," Nygaard said to reporters.

Griner's arrest has been a disheartening situation for the entire league, with players continuing to show their support for the athlete in any way they can. Most recently, all 12 WNBA teams branded their courts with a special decal to honor Griner for the 2022 season.

RELATED: WNBA Star Skylar Diggins-Smith on Feeling 'Guilty' Returning to Sport 9 Weeks After Welcoming Son

The Mercury will have a chance to get back in the win column when they host the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.