Tuesday’s Chicago Sky vs. New York Liberty game saw Angel Reese’s night stop early. The rookie sensation was ejected for two incredibly quick technical fouls in the fourth quarter. Fans called the techs weak and folks like NBA star Lonzo Ball were outraged. Reese was thrown for waving her hand at the referee in annoyance after allegedly telling the official, “that’s bulls**t,” regarding the first foul called against her. The pool report confirmed that the second T was given for this insignificant gesture.
Even Reese’s opponents were taken aback by her surprising disqualification. The Liberty’s star player, Sabrina Ionescu, expressed surprise that Reese was ejected for such a minor outburst. While watching the game from the sidelines, Lonzo Ball criticized the referee on Twitter and advised Reese to save her money by letting him pay for her fine himself. The WNBA swiftly overturned the second technical foul on Wednesday. The league is aware that ignoring the referee does not warrant a technical foul. It’s a little late for a correction, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The WNBA has rescinded the second technical assessed to Angel Reese in last night’s game against the Liberty, per a league source.
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) June 5, 2024
Angel Reese’s season-long technical foul total is reduced by one, and the corresponding fine is waived. It doesn’t help the Sky much, considering they had to play the remainder of the game without her. As is occasionally the case in the NBA, the league should definitely have a brief conversation with the referees regarding what makes a legitimate Tech, emphasizing that getting waved away does not satisfy the same standards as being looked at. Overall, it was an overreaction from the ref.
Angel Reese is still adjusting in her first season in the WNBA. She has been rebounding the ball like a few other players, but her shot-making has not been up to snuff. As the season goes on and she gets used to the physicality and pace of the game, she should improve as a scorer. The WNBA is on the rise. Several new faces in the league, along with the superstars who have been building the league already, are a part of the surge. Overall, Caitlin Clark is the big name that is driving much of the discussion, but the more the love and attention is spread around, the m ore successful the WNBA will be i the long run.
