Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream escaped Phoenix in a tightly officiated 82-80 game on May 24, with 35 total fouls, two flagrant calls—including one upgraded review on Reese—and three technicals that boiled over in the final stretch.
When Phoenix and Atlanta stepped onto the floor at Gateway Center Arena on May 24, the matchup was tight from the start. By the time the game entered its closing moments, it wasn’t just the score that felt fragile—it was the referees’ whistles.
The Phoenix Mercury (2-5) held a lead at various points, but the Atlanta Dream (4-1) survived an 82-80 finish built on timely defense, late scoring, and a late-game officiating surge. In all, 35 total fouls were called during the game.
The foul trouble began early. Dream guard Rhyne Howard picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Mercury forward Natasha Mack matched that with three fouls in the first half. By the end, eight players had three or more fouls apiece.
The officiating escalated further with two flagrant fouls and three technicals spread across the two teams. All three technicals came from frustrated players who appeared to believe some calls were too strict.
Those disagreements turned louder after the flagrant fouls landed in quick succession. The two flagrant calls were handed down within 13 seconds of one another, sparking boos from the crowd at Gateway Center Arena.
Both flagrant fouls started as common offenses on the floor and were then upgraded to Flagrant 1 after review—one of them on Dream forward Angel Reese. The reaction after the second flagrant was immediate and pointed. Fans chanted, “Ref, you suck!”
Postgame, Reese didn’t try to deflect the moment. She said, “We practice a lot on controlling our emotions. I would probably give us a ‘C’ today. We didn’t do a great job. We could have crashed out a little bit more. We’re just continuing trying to control what we can control. We emphasize a lot on that … We’re gonna clean that up going into (our game on) Tuesday.”.
Reese also acknowledged that Atlanta had handed Phoenix points they shouldn’t have—first with the two technicals, then again with the two upgraded flagrants. Even so, she credited Atlanta’s veteran leadership with keeping the team steady down the stretch.
Atlanta’s late surge came when it needed it most. The Dream went on a 15-5 run in the fourth quarter to close a once-15-point deficit and bring the game within two points. With just over a minute remaining in regulation. the Dream leaned on defense and scoring to create enough space to secure the win.
The final margin was as thin as the closing chaos. Atlanta escaped with a two-point victory, even though three fouls were called within the final 15 seconds, tightening an already tense ending.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko framed the result around what Atlanta did after the whistles multiplied. He said, “I’m an easy grader. I’ll give us an A because we regrouped and found a way to win. Obviously, we don’t wanna give away points. We’re competing. We do have to be able to manage our emotions so that we don’t give away any points at the line or make a hole any deeper.”.
The game functioned as a direct test of the league’s new, tighter officiating under pressure. For Atlanta, the lesson was clear: win the basketball matchup, but clean up what the officials are being asked to judge—especially when the clock is running out.
WNBA Atlanta Dream Phoenix Mercury Angel Reese A'ja Wilson Karl Smesko Rhyne Howard Natasha Mack officiating Flagrant 1 technical fouls May 24 Gateway Center Arena