Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards were involved in a contentious play during their game on Thursday night, which resulted in an upgraded Flagrant 1 foul for Edwards. The incident occurred in the second quarter of the Dream's 104-69 victory at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Reese was driving for a layup when Edwards, trailing the play, made contact with Reese's head. Reese then fell backward, and as she did, her head collided with Edwards. The impact sent Edwards to the floor, and she appeared to grab at Reese's neck area as she fell, attempting to pull her down. Reese, who did not fall, immediately stood over Edwards, leading to a heated exchange.
During a review of the play, Reese could be seen on the bench expressing that Edwards had grabbed her neck. Following the review, Edwards' foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
Reese finished the game with eight points on 3-for-13 shooting from the field, along with 15 rebounds and four blocks. The Dream did not address the incident in their postgame media availability.
This interaction comes amid ongoing discussions about hard fouls in the WNBA. Earlier in August, DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun was ejected for a foul on Alyssa Thomas of the Chicago Sky, an incident that led to Carrington posting about "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media. Additionally, a foul by Alyssa Thomas on Caitlin Clark in June, which was not initially called, resulted in a one-game suspension for Thomas.
The league has also faced controversy related to player eligibility and gender. Chicago Sky player Sophie Cunningham's comments regarding transgender women in sports sparked protests and counter-protests. Former NBA players Enes Freedom and Royce White declared for the WNBA draft, criticizing the league's policies. WNBA general managers and presidents met to discuss eligibility rules but decided against enacting policy changes, stating they would address "bad-faith efforts" to "marginalize others."