Angel Reese is officially cleared to play in the Atlanta Dream’s next game, after the WNBA pulled a complete reversal on what looked like an automatic one-game suspension. For a few hours, it appeared the Dream would have to face their next challenge without their star forward.
The Foul That Almost Blew Up Their Season
Talk about a close call! Reese got dinged with her eighth technical foul of the season during the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 101-83 loss to the Portland Fire on Friday. If that call had stood, she’d have been sidelined for Sunday’s crucial matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. That’s a huge blow for any team, especially when you’re fighting for playoff position. The play itself was pretty standard for intense WNBA action: Reese and Portland guard Carla Leite got tangled up battling for rebounding position. Reese appeared to push Leite as they separated, and the refs threw the technical. But get this: the league reviewed the play post-game and rescinded the technical foul, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported on X. Reese is now back down to seven technicals, dodging that immediate suspension bullet.
One Call Away From A Nightmare
While Dream fans can finally exhale, Reese isn’t out of the woods. She’s still sitting at seven technicals. That means her very next one, her eighth, will automatically trigger another one-game suspension. And with the WNBA’s escalating disciplinary system, additional technicals later in the season could lead to further suspensions. That’s gotta be on her mind every single possession.
This reversal is massive for Atlanta. Reese has been absolutely central to their success in her first season, averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. Against Portland, she put up a monster 16 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, and two steals, even in the loss. That kind of production is irreplaceable. The loss to Portland, where Leite and Emily Engstler combined for 51 points and Rhyne Howard’s 26 points couldn’t carry the Dream, also snapped Atlanta’s three-game winning streak. They’re now 25-14, and Indiana’s win over Connecticut on the same night pushed the Fever ahead of them in the standings. So yeah, every game, every player matters right now.
Atlanta needs Reese’s full power when they face the Minnesota Lynx next. Minnesota is one of the WNBA’s strongest teams, and going into that battle without their star forward would have been brutal. Now, they’ve got their playmaker, but the pressure cooker is still on. One more disputed call, and the Dream will be without her again for the rest of the season. No room for error here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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