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'It Was Just an Unsportsmanlike Act': WNBA Referee Explains Technical Foul on Angel Reese

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 8:37 AM ET

The Chicago Sky beat the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, 88-64. Angel Reese led the way with a huge double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds, as Chicago led from start to finish en route to the blowout victory.

A 28-10 first quarter set the tone for the Sky, and the Sun simply didn't have enough firepower to counter Chicago, even with a historic outing from center Tina Charles.

Four others scored in double figures for Chicago, including Kamilla Cardoso who had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

The game, however, wasn't without any issue. Reese was called for a technical foul late in the second quarter after she hit Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards in the head while both players were positioning for a rebound under the basket.

Angel Reese was assessed her 8th technical foul of the season after incidental contact with Aaliyah Edwards on this play.

She will be suspended for the Sky's next game unless it is rescinded.

Was this worth a tech? pic.twitter.com/PYRohlOHjb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2025

It's Reese's eighth technical foul of the season, which will automatically suspend her for one game without pay unless the league rescinds the call. The Sky's next game is against the Indiana Fever on Friday.

Naturally, there have been plenty of discussion about the call on Reese, with some claiming that it's a normal basketball play or a mere accidental hit. The WNBA referees have a different view of the situation, though.

Speaking with Julia Poe of Chicago Tribune after the game, crew chief Randy Richardson shared that they called the technical foul on Reese because they deemed her arm "flail" and hit to Edwards' head as an "unsportsmanlike act."

"Any contact to the head like that, we’ll just take a look at that for potential, just for the severity of the contact. We think it was just an unsportsmanlike act," Richardson said when asked the difference between a basketball play and a non-basketball play, via Chicago State of Mind Sports.

The crew chief also specified Reese's "flail" that pushed them to make the call, noting that it was "when her arm hit (Edwards) in the back of the head after the ball went into the basket." Richardson pointed out how the back of Reese's hand hit Edwards.

Angel Reese and Sky head coach Tyler Marsh have already shared their plan to appeal the technical foul call. However, it remains to be seen if the WNBA will be able to make a decision quickly in time for the Fever game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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