Angel Reese took a nasty shot to the face with just 5.6 seconds left before halftime during Wednesday night’s Atlanta Dream game against the New York Liberty, immediately heading for the locker room. The incident unfolded in a chaotic ending to the second quarter, making everyone wonder if she was coming back at all.
The Foul Heard ‘Round the Court
It all went down when Reese drew an offensive foul on Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu’s arm caught Reese directly in the face. You just knew that wasn’t a clean play, and the officials agreed, reviewing it and quickly upgrading the foul to a flagrant 1. It was a tough hit to take, and seeing Reese head straight for the locker room after something like that? Definitely had us all holding our breath. Atlanta was already up 41-26 at the half, but this was a huge moment that shifted the energy.
A Quick Return, Then Back to the Locker Room
But here’s the kicker: after going back to the locker room, Reese popped back out onto the court, cool as you like, to sink those two free throws awarded from the flagrant foul. Talk about mental toughness! Right after making them, though, she headed back to the locker room for what we all assumed was further evaluation. She had already put up 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 17 minutes before the hit, showing she was active. When the second half started, Reese wasn’t on the bench. Fans had to wait until there was 6:19 left in the third quarter before seeing her return to the bench. That kind of comeback, even just to the bench, tells you everything you need to know about her grit.
The Dream held onto their lead after that wild sequence. What a player. You gotta watch how Reese recovers after a hit like that; her presence is just huge for the Dream.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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