RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sources'Special Treatment' -- WNBA World Erupts As Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers Escape Punishment for Dream-Wings Betting Controversy
The WNBA has reportedly decided not to discipline Angel Reese or Paige Bueckers after the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings stars were seen openly discussing a $400 wager on the outcome of their teams’ Wednesday matchup.
While the league quickly deleted its own social media post featuring the exchange and acknowledged it “missed the mark,” the decision to let both players off without punishment sparked a heated debate across the WNBA world.
WNBA World Reacts to Angel Reese-Paige Bueckers Betting Controversy Going Unpunished
The controversy traces back to WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. During a practice session before the All-Star Game, Team Coop head coach Becky Hammon held a shooting competition that rewarded winners with $100 bills. Reese walked away with $400 in cash.
In a video Reese later posted, she was seen turning to Bueckers with an offer to put that money on the line when their teams played each other after the break.
The clip resurfaced this week when the WNBA’s official X account posted a follow-up video ahead of Wednesday’s Dream-Wings clash, asking Bueckers to recall the bet. She seemed to blank at first, asking, “We did? At night?” before catching on and doubling down: “Bet, I’m standing on that.”
The league captioned the post with a laughing emoji, seemingly unaware of the problem it created. It didn’t take long for the video to be taken down.
Betting of any kind, even a friendly one between teammates or rivals, is strictly prohibited under the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which was signed this year. Article 14, Section 5(c), spells it out:
“Any player found by the commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA competition shall, in the sole discretion of the commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.”
The league addressed the fallout in a statement, saying its post “missed the mark” and that it had been removed and handled internally.
“WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” the statement read , adding that the situation would be used as a reminder that jokes about wagering “can have negative consequences.”
Despite that language, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday that neither Reese nor Bueckers will face any discipline.
MORE: ‘Women’s Sports Deserve Better’ — Political Commentator Unloads on WNBA Amid Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Controversies
Atlanta beat Dallas 82-81, with Reese posting 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Bueckers finished with 16 points and 6 assists in the loss.
Afterward, a smiling Reese leaned into the moment during her postgame press conference, joking that she’d be “requesting my Apple Pay” from Bueckers before adding that holding her to 16 points was no easy feat.
The lighthearted response didn’t sit well with everyone once word got out that no punishment was coming.
“Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers can do no wrong in Cathy Engelbert’s eyes. But [what if] that had been Caitlin Clark & Sophie Cunningham? They’d probably be banned for life,” WNBA pundit Jaime Lardis posted .
“Angel Reese doubled down on betting. It was not a joke. WNBA special treatment for Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers,” one X user added .
“Sadly, with zero consequences for the protected species of Angel Reese & Paige Bueckers, the @WNBA and @CathyEngelbert proved the govt needs to get involved to right the ship. It was a great opportunity for Cathy to prove she could run the league. She failed miserably,” The CDS Sports Podcast noted.
“Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader with 4,256, was banned for life for betting on his own team to win baseball games as a manager. Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers shouldn’t be banned from the WNBA for life for a wager on their game, but there should have been some form of suspension. The NFL suspended Calvin Ridley an entire season for betting on games,” X user Andy Froemel highlighted .
“If Sophie Cunningham recorded herself betting on games and then bragged about collecting the winnings… the WNBA would suspend her in a heartbeat. Angel Reese got a pass. And we all know why,” White House correspondent Alec Lace wrote .
For now, the WNBA appears to be treating the episode as a communications misstep rather than a rules violation worthy of punishment, even as the online reaction shows that plenty of fans see it differently.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
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