WNBA punishes Sabrina Ionescu after flagrant foul on Angel Reese which injured Dream star
· Yahoo Sports
The final WNBA regular-season game for the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty became snippy after a Sabrina Ionescu foul on Angel Reese.
The Dream secured an 83-65 win over the Liberty to cement their spot as the No. 4 seed heading into the playoffs, while the Liberty have been relegated to the No. 8 seed.
Visit umafrika.club for more information.
With the game carrying real stakes for both teams, one Ionescu mistake led to her elbowing Reese in the face, picking up a flagrant 1 foul while ensuring Reese didn’t play another minute in the clash.
WNBA will fine Sabrina Ionescu $500 for foul on Angel Reese
According to the WNBA’s rules, Ionescu will be fined $500 for picking up this flagrant foul for unnecessary contact and will pick up one disciplinary point.
“A flagrant foul—penalty (1) is unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent… The offender will be subject to a fine and/or suspension by the Commissioner.”
The fines for flagrant fouls saw a big jump in 2026 under the new CBA, commensurate with the increase in WNBA salaries for this season. They have gone from $200 last season to $500 in 2026.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty ImagesIonescu will have to pay this fine to the league office in the final game of the season, as this is the only flagrant foul violation for the 28-year-old veteran this season.
Reese left the game after this foul, returning to the bench and watching the rest of the game play out. Dream coach Karl Smesko confirmed she was cleared to play, but they chose to hold her out.
“She was cleared, but we made a decision that it would be smart for her to sit out the second half.”
Her sitting out the remainder of the game was likely a calculated decision to protect her health for the postseason, given that the Dream had a commanding lead in this game.
Reese put up six points, six rebounds, and three steals in this clash in 17 minutes before leaving with her injury. Ionescu put up just seven points as the former WNBA Champion failed to lead her team to this win.
Read more: