Angel Reese will miss Friday’s matchup with the Fever. She received her eighth technical foul in the first half of Wednesday’s game against the Sun, which triggered a one-game suspension.
Head coach Tyler Marsh said the Sky appealed the call, but the WNBA issued a statement Thursday confirming the suspension. The Sky have appealed other calls this season without success.
Reese was assessed a technical for a “flail” in the second quarter against Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards. There was no whistle on the court, but officials upgraded the play after review. Marsh argued at the time and said he was frustrated by the explanation.
“They had the choice to go with a technical or a flagrant,” Marsh said. “I asked them, ‘Why not the flagrant?’ There was no real response given.”
Marsh has grown increasingly vocal about officiating, calling it “egregious” and pushing for more accountability.
Under league rules, Reese will face another one-game suspension for every two additional technical fouls. She leads the WNBA with eight this season. Asked about the pattern Wednesday, she said simply: “It is what it is.”
Marsh has said the fouls are often a result of her competitive spirit. When she received her seventh technical in late July, Marsh said that she was aware of it and he wasn’t worried about it. But after so many calls piled up early, it was unlikely she would avoid another before season’s end. Now she’ll miss the Sky’s fifth and final meeting with the Fever.
The Sky have struggled without Reese this season, their longest losing streak coming while she was sidelined with a back injury. And the season has been a major disappointment overall — the team sits in 11th place and tied a record for most games lost by 30 points or more.
On Tuesday, Reese delivered a bold critique of the team in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, saying she wasn’t willing to settle for another season like this one. The next day, her teammates called a meeting to address the comments, and Reese apologized.
“I didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates, because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year,” she said. “They busted their ass just how I busted my ass.”
Reese added she needs to be more careful with her words.
“What I say can be taken any kind of way,” she said. “I just have to be better.”
The Sky have four games remaining and have been eliminated from playoff contention.