Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese had her automatic one-game WNBA suspension and $1,500 fine quickly rescinded by the league after receiving her eighth technical foul during a game against the Portland Fire.
The penalty was assessed after Reese became involved in a tangle under the basket with Carla Leite while Atlanta trailed Portland 76-61 with 8:46 remaining in the game. Officials deemed that Reese had shoved her opponent during the collision, leaving the Dream forward in disbelief. She spread her arms wide in protest and remonstrated to the referees, stating, "She pushed off on me!"
Despite her protests, officials issued the technical foul. Under WNBA rules, accumulating eight technical fouls in a single regular season triggers an automatic one-game suspension alongside a $1,500 monetary penalty, which initially ruled Reese out of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Lynx. However, the league moved swiftly to overturn the call, following a precedent set when it rescinded Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark's eighth technical foul less than two hours after last weekend's win over the Chicago Sky.
Court Incident and Appeal
Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko voiced his frustration with the officiating during the contest and confirmed immediately after the game that the team intended to challenge the call. Smesko noted prior to reviewing game tape that he expected the penalty to be overturned on appeal, a process that ultimately proved successful.
"Yeah, I'm sure that we'll appeal it," Smesko said. "From my vantage point, it didn't look like something that was tech-worthy, so hopefully it'll be rescinded. But, I haven't had the benefit of watching it on film yet or anything like that. But I think that's probably something that we're going to try to get rescinded."
Historic Rebounding Records
The controversial whistle came just moments after Reese achieved another historic milestone in her professional career. The former Louisiana State University star tied Alyssa Thomas' league record for the most double-doubles in a single season. Reese achieved double-digit figures in two statistical categories for the 28th time this year, matching the benchmark Thomas established with the Connecticut Sun during the 2023 WNBA campaign.
Reese, who was traded to Atlanta from the Chicago Sky on April 6 in a shock move after entering the league as a standout college player at LSU, has also established the Atlanta Dream single-season record for defensive rebounds. She has secured 271 defensive rebounds as part of 458 total rebounds this season, averaging 12.4 rebounds per game. That mark represents the highest single-season rebounding average in WNBA history.
Playoff Push and Suspension Danger
With the league overturning the technical foul, Reese remains eligible to feature in Sunday's game against Minnesota. The fixture marks the final contest for the Dream prior to the league pause for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup break, where international players participate in global tournament play.
Following the international break, Atlanta will return to the court with just four regular season games remaining as they seek to secure the best possible seeding for the postseason. The Dream, who secured their fourth consecutive playoff spot last week, currently sit second in the Eastern Conference standings and fifth in the overall league standings. However, Reese remains just one technical foul away from triggering another automatic suspension for the remainder of the regular season.
