WNBA To Punish Angel Reese During Playoffs

Allan Henry-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

WNBA To Punish Angel Reese During Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Oct 9, 2026 8:55 PM ET

There has been no shortage of action in Game 3 of the WNBA playoff semifinal matchup between the Atlanta Dream and the New York Liberty.

Angel Reese and Co. entered Friday’s game with a commanding 2-0 series lead. They are one win away from punching their ticket to the WNBA Finals, where they would face the Golden State Valkyries or the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces.

The Liberty, however, won’t go down without a fight. New York eliminated the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in the first round, but now find themselves facing a massive challenge in the semifinals against the Dream.

The action boiled over in the second quarter when Reese clashed with Liberty star Jonquel Jones.

Jones erased Reese’s layup attempt and appeared to have words for the Dream forward after the block. This led to a confrontation between the two, requiring referees and teammates to step in to separate them.

Reese and Jones were assessed with double technical fouls after the heated exchange.

Double technical fouls assessed to Jonquel Jones and Angel Reese pic.twitter.com/p3nS3ysdjk
— SNY Liberty (@SNYLiberty) October 10, 2026

Both Reese and Jones now face punishment from the WNBA. Each technical foul carries an automatic $500 fine, which the two stars will need to pay out of their own pockets. Unless the league decides to rescind the technicals.

This is Reese’s second technical foul of the WNBA playoffs. She also received a tech in Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Washington Mystics. A fourth tech in the postseason will lead to an automatic one-game suspension.

Reese accumulated seven technical fouls in the regular season. She tied Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark for the second-most in the league. Only Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury had more, with eight.

Game 3 has been a tightly contested affair. As of this writing, the Dream lead 51-47 with 6:12 left in the third quarter. Reese currently leads all scorers with 20 points, along with four rebounds, three assists, a steal, two blocks and two three-pointers.

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

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