Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese experienced a significant milestone in her WNBA career on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t a positive one. During the team’s 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty, Reese was ejected from the game, marking the first time she has been expelled from a game since turning professional.
The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter when Reese, the seventh overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, was called for her fifth foul while battling for a rebound with Jonquel Jones. Frustrated with the call, Reese expressed her discontent to the referee, which resulted in an initial technical foul. As she walked away, she waved in a dismissive manner, leading to a second technical foul and her early exit from the game. Crew chief Maj Forsberg explained that the first technical foul was given for Reese’s “disrespectful behavior” towards the official, while the second was for the dismissive wave. These actions ultimately led to her ejection from the game.
In the WNBA, players receive fines of $300 for each of the first three technical fouls they accumulate in a season. These were the first two technical fouls for Reese. However, amidst the disappointment, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball took to social media to show support for Reese.
Angel Reese just got ejected.
(h/t @LucasKaplan_)
— Overtime (@overtime) June 5, 2024
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Ball expressed his disagreement with the decision to eject Reese, calling out the referee on Twitter. He even went as far as offering to pay for the fines that Reese will incur as a result of the technical fouls.
“Ref that threw out @Reese10Angel is weak btw,” Ball wrote on Twitter. “You know who you are (Keep ya money Angel I got you).”
💞😭appreciate you gang! https://t.co/Aupf0jJU6N
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) June 5, 2024
Despite the ejection, Reese had some good moments during the game, including her first block of the season. Not only did she finish the game with a double-double and contributed 13 points, she also had 10 rebounds. However, her overall performance was hindered by shooting struggles, as she only made three of her 12 attempts from the field.
Throughout the season, Reese has shown promise, averaging 10.9 points and nine rebounds per game. These statistics rank her second and first, respectively, among rookies.
It’s worth noting that Reese was recently fined $1,000 for violating the league’s rules on media availability, with the team also receiving a $5,000 fine. Despite these setbacks, Reese’s talent and potential remain evident, and with the support of her teammates, fans, and now Lonzo Ball, she is poised to continue making an impact in the WNBA.