There’s now more clarity to what led to Angel Reese’s ejection during the Chicago Sky-New York Liberty game on Tuesday.
For those who missed it, Reese was thrown out with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the contest. She was initially called for a personal foul, and out of frustration, she appeared to say something to referee Charles Watson that sparked the first tech.
When she waved her hand and walked away, another tech occurred, leading to her ejection.
Initial reports indicate that Reese said “that’s bulls**t” to the whistle she got.
Of course fans and players alike were confused over what happened. While the first tech may have been warranted because of her choice of words, the second tech came out of nowhere for many.
Speaking to lead official Maj Forsberg after the game, however, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune revealed that Reese’s words and her act of waving her hand at the referee caused Watson to issue the double-tech.
“Reese received the first technical foul for ‘disrespectfully addressing’ the official. The second technical was for waving off the official,” Poe shared.
The explanation only caused more issue since many believe that what happened doesn’t warrant an ejection. Besides, Angel Reese was already walking away when she was hit with a second tech.
“WNBA need to investigate these refs. They investigate everything else,” a commenter wrote while calling out Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Another commenter added, “Sooooft! He couldn’t even keep a straight face when he told Sabrina what Angel did.”
“That’s pretty soft,” a critic furthered.
A frustrated Sky fan added, “That’s some soft s**t nobody came to that game to see the ref.”
Jun 4, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts after being ejected from her team’s WNBA game against the New York Liberty during the second half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
It remains to be seen if the WNBA will address the matter or even rescind one of Reese’s techs. For now, Sky fans can only hope the WNBA does something.
