Angel Reese Facing WNBA Fine After Behavior Towards Officials in Sky-Sparks Game

LOS ANGELES – Angel Reese could be in for a fine after she expressed her displeasure at how she was being officiated against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Reese and the Chicago Sky traveled to Los Angeles for the latest matchup between the two squads, just days after the star forward taunted the Sparks organization. The star also requested fans to give the Sky grace as they attempt to right the ship after a less-than-stellar start to the 2025 WNBA season.

As part of the latest round of players having issue with the officiating this season, Reese made it clear that she was unhappy with the lack of calls Sunday afternoon. In the third quarter, the 23-year-old was in the post amid hefty contact between her and the Sparks defenders.

Despite how physical the exchange was, no foul was called. Then, with 3:26 left on the clock, Reese once again attempted to get low-post positioning on the Sparks’ Emma Cannon, but no foul was called again as the two battled and were physical with one another.

Frustrated, Reese made the referee a piece of her mind, earning her a technical foul. With her accrual of another foul, the 23-year-old could be handed a fine by the WNBA, unless the league elects to rescind her most recent technical foul.

Reese is just the latest star seemingly exasperated with how officials are calling the game. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke out on how the league needs to do a better job with having calls that are consistent from game to game.

“I started talking to the officials in the first quarter, and we knew this was going to happen,” White said. “You could tell it was going to happen. So, they’ve got to get control of it. They’ve got to be better.”

Along with White and Reese, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier also spoke on how the referees need to do a better job with how fouls are called, giving her honest thoughts on how the game is being played.

“I don’t think it’s consistent; I think every player would say that,” Collier said. “I think it’s getting worse. I’m just going to be really honest about it.

“It’s a conversation that I’ve tried to have with [Commissioner Cathy Engelbert] before, with a lot of people. It’s something that we have to get better at. We have so many new eyes on us, and consistency is the biggest thing.”

Legendary Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve noted how the league has more eyes on it, leading to increased scrutiny for how fouls are called. That said, unless the league acknowledges there is an issue, there will be no change, at least in her opinion.

“There’s more eyes on the game, and people are just now seeing it more regularly, what we’ve been saying for years. Until the league admits they have a problem, nothing’s changing,” Reeve said.

With the officiating being a topic of conversation around the league, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed that changes could be on the horizon. “There’s always room for growth and improvement in officiating,” she said.

“I do find it interesting when you sit in the chair I sit in that no winning team ever complains about officiating; no losing team ever doesn’t complain about officiating.”