The Sky’s game Tuesday offered no relief from the attention for Reese, who was ejected in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s loss to the New York Liberty when referee Charles Watson called her for a foul on Jonquel Jones. Reese argued slightly, then waved toward him — a sequence that drew a quick double technical and sent her to the locker room. According to the WNBA pool report, she “disrespectfully” addressed him and then waved off the referee “in resentment to the call.”
On Wednesday, the WNBA rescinded the second technical foul call that prompted Reese’s ejection.
The ejection drew immediate attention Tuesday, including from Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls, who jumped onto social media to comment: “Ref that threw out [Reese] is weak btw… You know who you are (Keep ya money Angel I got you).” She replied, “appreciate you gang!”
WNBA players are fined $200 for each of their first three technical fouls in a season, and Reese previously was fined $1,000 for declining to comply with mandated media availability Saturday after Clark’s Indiana Fever beat the Sky by a point. Reese was shown applauding from the bench when teammate Chennedy Carter’s shoulder check sent Clark sprawling.
A Chicago Tribune editorial said Carter’s physical play on Clark — the kind of moment often seen in sports — would have been deemed assault outside of sports. ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike, a former WNBA player, noted: “One player’s approach is not indicative of an entire league. … Plays like this happen in sports, but now it’s being used to further agendas that don’t serve the game.”
Reese has not shied away from physical play or being labeled a villain so long as, she says, it helps advance the women’s game. Besides, she is growing accustomed to it.
“It all started from the [2023] national championship game [when Reese’s LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa team], and I’ve been dealing with this for two years now. Understanding negative things have probably been said about me, but honestly I’ll take that because look where women’s basketball is,” Reese told reporters Monday. “People are talking about women’s basketball who you’d never think would be talking about women’s basketball. People are pulling up to games, we’ve got celebrities coming to games and sold-out arenas because of one single game.
“I’ll take the ‘bad guy’ role, and I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammate. … I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why [we’re] watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person.’ It’s because of me, too, and I want y’all to realize that.”
Some headlines painted that quote as a jealous dig at the attention given to Clark, but Reese went on to say it isn’t all about her. “It’s not just because of one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game. … There are so many great players in this league that have deserved this for a really, really long time, and luckily it’s coming now.”
The spotlight, she told USA Today before Tuesday’s game, has been intense.
“I don’t think there’s any jealousy or hate or any of that. I think we’re appreciative to be a part of this journey. Obviously, everybody wants this [greater spotlight] and has wanted this for a long time, especially my teammates who’ve been in this league for a little while now. They’ve deserved this for a really long time. We’ve all been given these opportunities, and we don’t take them for granted. So I’m just happy to be a part of it and continue to help grow the game as much as I can.”
