Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham criticized the officiating in the Atlanta Dream’s series-clinching playoff win over the New York Liberty, saying Angel Reese should have received a technical foul for pursuing Sabrina Ionescu after an illegal-screen call.
The incident occurred in Game 3 on Oct. 9. Reese followed Ionescu down the court and shouted at her, according to the supplied report. Officials did not call a technical foul. Cunningham later addressed the play on her “No Hesitation” podcast, arguing that following an opponent and getting in her ear should draw a technical. She said a playoff technical is typically accompanied by a $500 fine.
Cunningham distinguished the action from a player calling out to an opponent while remaining on her own side of the court. She said she was comfortable with that kind of exchange, but considered Reese’s pursuit worthy of a penalty. At the same time, Cunningham said she respected Reese for standing up for a teammate.
ESPN WNBA analyst Rebecca Lobo also said during the broadcast that Reese should have been assessed a technical for the exchange with Ionescu, the report said.
A separate confrontation later in the game resulted in Reese receiving a technical. After blocking a layup attempt by Jonquel Jones and sending the ball into the stands, Reese stood chest-to-chest with Jones, according to the report. Cunningham described the technical assessed on that play as part of “good playoff basketball,” but criticized the difference in how the two incidents were handled, calling the officiating inconsistent.
The distinction mattered because two technical fouls in one game would have led to Reese’s ejection, potentially affecting the contest’s outcome. The report does not establish whether the earlier exchange would have changed the result; it notes only that an ejection could have benefited New York.
Reese entered the WNBA Finals with two technical fouls, according to the report. It said two additional technicals during the best-of-seven Finals would trigger a one-game suspension. The Finals were scheduled to begin Saturday, Oct. 17, between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream. The source does not provide a final result or further information about any league review of the officiating.
Cunningham’s comments came amid the competitive tension surrounding the playoffs. The report also notes a history of hard fouls and competitive exchanges between Reese and Cunningham’s Fever teammate Caitlin Clark. Cunningham’s remarks, however, focused on the separate officiating decisions in Atlanta’s game against New York.
