Naz Hillmon just got hit with a $500 fine after picking up her second technical foul of the season Monday, right in the middle of the Atlanta Dream’s tough 78-71 road victory against the Los Angeles Sparks. Yeah, a technical foul is never fun, especially when it costs you cash and pops up in a crucial road game, but seriously, don’t let that overshadow how clutch Hillmon was, helping the Dream wrap up an incredible 4-0 road trip.
The Fine Hillmon Took to the Wallet
So, what actually went down against the Sparks? Hillmon got whistled for a loose-ball foul with 5:20 left in the second quarter. Immediately after that call, boom, she picked up a technical. It’s her second of the year, with the first hitting back on July 2 against the Washington Mystics. That second tech means an automatic $500 hit to her wallet, thanks to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement. The league’s fine structure is clear: the first three technicals are all $500 each. It jumps to $1,000 for techs four through seven, and they even send you a warning letter after your fifth. Then, a one-game suspension kicks in if you hit eight technicals, plus a $1,500 fine. Luckily, Hillmon is way below that suspension threshold, so this incident is purely a financial ding for now. Still, nobody wants to see that!
But The Dream Are Absolutely Crushing It!
Here’s the real story, though, and it’s awesome! That fine didn’t stop Hillmon from showing up huge for her squad. She dropped 12 points and snatched seven rebounds, shooting an incredibly efficient 5-of-8 from the field against the Sparks. Talk about staying locked in! And her teammate Angel Reese had an absolutely historic night, grabbing a WNBA single-game record 26 rebounds! Twenty-six! That’s just unreal. Reese also added 11 points, three assists, and three steals to her monster stat line. Hillmon has been a consistent, reliable force in the frontcourt all season, and her performance against L.A. just reinforces why she’s such a key piece of Atlanta’s rotation. This Dream team is absolutely rolling. They finished that road trip with a perfect 4-0 record and now sit at an impressive 25-13 overall, holding strong at fourth in the standings. That’s serious momentum!
So, what’s next for the surging Dream? They head home to host the Portland Fire on Friday, then a Sunday matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. These two games are crucial to keep that momentum going before the WNBA takes a pause for the FIBA Women’s World Cup. Let’s see if they can keep stacking those wins!
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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