Angel Reese just got her eighth technical foul during the Atlanta Dream’s tough 101-83 loss to the Portland Fire on Friday, and that means a one-game suspension is staring her down. Unless the league rescinds it, she is out for Sunday’s massive showdown against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. This is a brutal blow for a team that’s in a knife-fight for playoff positioning.
Eighth Tech Foul and a Familiar Problem
Reese’s eighth technical foul this season triggers an automatic one-game suspension without pay, according to WNBA rules. This isn’t some new, arcane regulation either; the league actually bumped the limit up to eight last season from seven when they expanded to a 44-game schedule. But here’s the kicker: this marks the second straight season Reese has been suspended for hitting that technical foul threshold. Last season, she led the league in technicals with eight while with the Chicago Sky, serving a suspension then, too. She’s now once again leading the entire league in technical fouls. Talk about déjà vu!
The play that got her suspended happened early in the fourth quarter. She got tangled up with Fire point guard Carla Leite during a box-out situation. Reese appeared to push down on Leite’s head/neck area while Leite had her arm wrapped around Reese’s back. As they separated, Reese gave a little shove and the whistle blew for the technical. Reese still put up a double-double in the loss, dropping 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, plus six assists, but she shot just 5 of 14 from the field. It’s a tough stat line to swallow when it comes with a suspension.
The Stakes Just Got Higher for the Dream
This suspension for Sunday’s game against the Lynx is a huge, huge loss for the Dream. They are scrapping hard for a top-four playoff seed, right in the thick of the playoff picture. Before Friday’s game, Atlanta was holding onto fourth place, just half a game behind the third-place Las Vegas Aces and half a game ahead of the fifth-place Indiana Fever. But with their loss to the Fire and the Fever snagging a win, the Dream have now slid to fifth place. They are now just one game ahead of the sixth-place Washington Mystics, and to make it worse, the Mystics actually own the tiebreaker between the two clubs. Every single game matters when you’re battling for seeding like this. Meanwhile, other stars are playing the technical foul tightrope: Caitlin Clark of the Fever also hit eight technicals this season, but her most recent one got rescinded, putting her at seven. Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper is also sitting at seven. These technical foul counts reset after the regular season, but for now, Reese’s absence against the league-leading Lynx could truly sting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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