Watch what you say in the heat of the moment

A California woman was criminally charged Thursday after authorities said she told her basketball athlete daughter to “hit her” before the girl punched an opposing player in the head during a game.

The punch was allegedly thrown last month as two club teams played during a tournament in the city of Garden Grove near Los Angeles.

Latira Shonty Hunt was caught on cell phone video yelling “you better hit her for that” after her daughter fell to the ground on a previous play involving the victim, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

The blow crumpled the 15-year-old victim “to the floor like a rag doll,” Spitzer said. The girl suffered a concussion, according to her family’s lawyer.

Hunt, 44, is charged with two misdemeanors: contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery. She faces up to a year in jail if convicted, Spitzer said. Contact information for Hunt could not be found and it wasn’t immediately known if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

“In my opinion it would have not happened, but for mom’s words,” Spitzer said of the attack. He said Hunt’s words “were the catalyst” that caused her daughter “to even think about” punching the other girl.

Richard Kaplan, a Los Angeles defense attorney not involved with this case, called the charges against Hunt “a stretch.”

Kaplan predicted that it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove that Hunt’s outburst was a command and not just “an emotional response in a heated moment.”

The girl who threw the punch is the daughter of former NBA player Corey Benjamin, who issued an apology shortly after he saw the video of the game. His pro career included stints with the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and overseas teams.

“As a father, I’m shocked and disappointed at my daughter’s behavior as this is not a reflection of the values and standards that my family holds. Nor does it exemplify the values, character and spirit of sportsmanship that the game of basketball requires,” Benjamin said in a statement at the time.

The alleged victim’s lawyer, Kevin Hahn, said the family is “pleased with the DA’s decision to charge the mother. We think it’s warranted given the facts.“