NEW YORK -- Latasha Byears and Michelle Marciniak were suspended Friday by the WNBA for their part in a fight the previous night.

Byears, of the champion Los Angeles Sparks, was suspended for two games and fined $1,000.

Marciniak, of the Seattle Storm, got a one-game suspension and a $500 fine.

''I feel really bad. I can't tell you what it feels like to be sitting here when I'm supposed to be at the gym right now,'' Marciniak said in a phone interview from her home. ''It's very disappointing to me. I've got mixed emotions about it.

''I know they talk about retaliation and I saw the film many, many, many times today. I don't know the difference in acting in self-defense and retaliation. What do you take and what don't you take as a player? Where do you draw the line?''

Storm coach Lin Dunn, who said late Thursday the team would appeal, said Friday neither the Storm nor Marciniak could appeal the suspension, but that Marciniak could appeal the fine. And Marciniak said she does plan to appeal.

''It's just what the league saw,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said Friday. ''(WNBA president) Val Ackerman has done a great job so far, and the governing body of that, that's what they decided. Whenever there's punches thrown, that player is going to get the more severe penalty.''

Byears was dribbling on a fastbreak when Marciniak fouled her. Byears tossed the ball from close range off Marciniak's face. Marciniak came at Byears with her hands up before Byears shoved her to the ground.

Cooper, who already had a technical foul for arguing about the game's physical play, charged onto the court. Both players were ejected with 9:51 left in the Storm's 79-60 victory.

The fight followed a play in which Sparks star Lisa Leslie and the Storm's Lauren Jackson battled for a rebound and Leslie elbowed Jackson in the chest. No foul was called.

''It's part of the game of basketball. It was a very physical game last night,'' Cooper said. ''The officials called the game the way they saw it. That's one of the things, one of those unfortunate incidents that happens in basketball. It's not the first time, it won't be the last time.''

Dunn said the league is sending a message.

''Whether right or wrong, if you retaliate you're going to be fined or suspended,'' Dunn said. ''We'll definitely miss Michelle's energy and her defense.''

Byears' suspension covers the game Friday night at Portland and a July 17 game at Indiana. Marciniak's suspension was for the game Friday night against Cleveland.