Angel Reese was ejected late in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Sky’s 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
With 2:31 left in the game, Reese was called for her fifth personal foul after reaching Liberty center Jonquel Jones following an offensive rebound.
After flirting with the possibility of fouling, Reese appeared to have said something to referee Charles Watson that led to a technical foul.
While his choice of words remains a mystery, Reese gave up on Watson as he walked away, resulting in a successive technical that led to his ejection.
While his teammates stood rigid, bewildered by what happened, the Chicago crowd booed as Reese walked toward the tunnel. The rookie finished the game with 13 points and ten rebounds in 24 minutes.
Angel Reese was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Sky’s loss to Liberty on Tuesday.
The ouster comes on the heels of the former LSU star claiming he is taking on an antagonistic role stemming from his rivalry with Caitlin Clark.
Over the weekend, Reese received backlash after cheering on teammate Chennedy Carter for checking on Clark in their 71-70 loss to the Indiana Fever.
‘People are coming to the games, we have celebrities coming to the games, sold-out stadiums. Just for one game,” Reese said Monday. ‘And just looking at that, I’m going to take on that role. I’m going to take on the role of the bad guy and continue to take on that role. And be that for my teammates.’
‘I know I will go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and say, ‘Yeah, the reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person.’ It’s also my fault. “And I want them to realize that a lot of us have done a lot for this game.”
“There are so many great players in this league who have deserved this for a long time and thankfully it’s coming now.”
Reese defended teammate Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark in Saturday’s Sky-Fever game while talking about her popularity in the WNBA.
Reese emerged from Tuesday’s loss to Liberty with 13 points, ten rebounds and five personal fouls.
WNBA MVP Breanna Steward led the Liberty with 33 points and 14 rebounds in their victory.
However, Liberty achieved victory thanks to a double-double of 33 points and 14 rebounds from MVP Breanna Stewart. Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionescu added 24 points and seven rebounds to help New York win on the road.
“I tried to get an explanation and I didn’t get one,” coach Teresa Weatherspoon said when asked about the ejection after the game. “I don’t know, so far, what has happened.”
“They sent her off,” added teammate Marina Mabrey. ‘She said something to the referee. What he felt (like) was the right decision, is what he did. For us it’s more about composure. “You have to know the referees and how they respond to things.”