Angel Reese’s confrontation with the New York Liberty turned into a fourth-quarter moment that included an overturned challenge and a technical foul. Despite a game-high 25 points, Atlanta fell 104-90, dropping to 8-4 and suffering a rare blowout with the scor
For a few seconds in the fourth quarter, Angel Reese thought she was finishing the play.
At 8:54. she drove toward the basket for a layup against New York Liberty guard Pauline Astier. and contact sent the rookie to the floor after what was first called an and-1 opportunity. New York challenged it. the play was overturned. and Reese was instead called for an offensive foul—her fourth foul of the game. Then the moment kept escalating: Reese was also assessed a technical foul.
What the technical was for wasn’t immediately clear, but it came after Reese made the layup and did a “too small” gesture toward Astier.
“It was a tough possession because I thought it was legal position,” Reese said after the game. “You gotta move on, and keep it pushing. I think my teammates kept me high and lifted. but. yeah. it was a tough stretch.” She added that the lesson wasn’t just about the call but how emotions show up on the floor. “And we talk about managing emotions better. I think I’ve just been doing a good job of that.”.
The stakes were visible on the scoreboard. When the play happened, New York led 81-69. If Reese’s potential scoring had counted, it would have cut the Liberty’s advantage down to eight. New York’s lead had been as high as 18 earlier, and Atlanta never led by more than six.
Reese was one of the lone bright spots for the Atlanta Dream. The Dream lost 104-90 and fell to 8-4 on the season. For head coach Karl Smesko, it was the first time in his tenure that Atlanta scored 100 points or more.
Reese finished with a game-high 25 points on 50% shooting, along with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one blocked shot.
Smesko said he saw the same player taking shape even in a tough night. “I thought she had a really good game offensively… Like to see her progress. She was keeping us around for a good portion of the second half … It was a great game by her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
Angel Reese Atlanta Dream New York Liberty Pauline Astier technical foul WNBA Karl Smesko 104-90 Chicago Sky emotions