Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has questioned how officials have handled Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese. In Game 3 of the semi-finals, Reese chased New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu down the floor and was not called for a technical foul, so she also avoided the $500 fine that comes with one.
Cunningham made the comments on the latest episode of her “No Hesitation” podcast with co-host Drew Hanlen. They come just as the Dream prepare to open the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, 17 October. Atlanta beat New York 85-83 on the road on 9 October to complete a 3-0 sweep and reach the championship round for the first time since 2013. Reese, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, had 22 points and nine rebounds in the clinching win.
The sequence that drew scrutiny
The flashpoint came in the second quarter. Sabrina Ionescu was called for an offensive foul after setting a hard screen on Atlanta’s Isobel Borlase. Reese followed the Liberty star back up the court, telling her, “You can’t do that,” before Rhyne Howard stepped in to move her away. Officials did not call a technical foul.
“Angel, I appreciate her having her teammates’ back. That just shows that she cares and that she loves for her teammates,” Cunningham said.
“Here’s my thing. If you’re going to chase someone down the court and get in someone’s ear, that should be a tech. Anytime. That should be a tech. It’s going to be a tech in the regular season. Now, if she were to stay on her side and just kind of yell and say something, I’m all for that. But the fact that she didn’t get a tech on that, I think that’s absolutely insane.”
A contrasting call minutes later
Officials did hand out technicals soon afterwards. Jonquel Jones blocked a Reese drive, the two exchanged words, and both were called for a technical. It was Reese’s second technical of the postseason, and it brought a $500 fine.
Cunningham said the two decisions did not add up.
“With the JJ, when she drove and got blocked, I wish that they wouldn’t have given either of them a tech. I think that’s good playoff basketball,” she said. “So it’s just so weird and inconsistent.”
If the Ionescu play had been called, the Jones technical would have been Reese’s second of the night. That would have meant an ejection in a game Atlanta eventually won by just two points.
Stakes entering the Finals
Angel Reese goes into the championship series with two playoff technicals. Under WNBA rules, a third technical in the postseason brings a $1,000 fine and a warning letter. A fourth brings a $1,500 fine and an automatic one-game suspension.
Sophie Cunningham has had her own clashes with Reese in the past. This time, she praised Reese’s fire and kept her criticism to the specific calls and the wider question of consistency. The podcast also raised other physical plays involving Reese that were not penalised.
Atlanta Dream have been to the Finals three times before and were swept on every occasion. With the franchise chasing its first title, the line between playoff physicality and consistent officiating is likely to remain a talking point.
