Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was ejected for the first time in her professional career on Tuesday night during the team’s 88-75 loss to the visiting New York Liberty.
Late in the fourth quarter, Reese was called for her fifth foul while battling for a rebound with Jonquel Jones. She let the ref know about her frustration, which earned her an initial technical, then gave a wave and appeared to have more to say as she walked away. That was enough for a second tech in rapid succession and an early trip to the showers.
It’s unclear what Reese said, but it must have been some combination of magic words to get that sort of reaction from the ref. Otherwise, it seems like a pretty soft ejection considering her reaction was not demonstrative. To that point, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball came to Reese’s aide and said he would take care of the fines for her technicals.
“Ref that threw out @Reese10Angel is weak btw,” Ball wrote on social media. “You know who you are (Keep ya money Angel I got you).”
WNBA players are fined $300 per technical for the first three technicals they receive in a season. These are the first two technicals for Reese. The limit for the season is seven, after which a player will be suspended one game.
Reese had some impressive moments, including her first block of the season, and finished with another double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds. Overall it was a frustrating night for the rookie, though, as she shot 3 of 12 from the field and dealt with foul trouble.
For the season, Reese is averaging 10.9 points and nine rebounds per game, which is good for second and first, respectively among rookies. She has struggled to shoot the ball, however, and is at just 33.8%. Late last week, she was fined $1,000 (and the team was fined $5,000) for failing to follow the league’s rules on media availability.
