Angel Reese was doing exactly what she always does. She was fighting for position, using a swim move to get around her defender, doing the grinding work that makes her one of the most physical presences in the league. It put Brittney Griner in an awkward spot, and the result was one of the most-talked-about plays of Tuesday night.
With 7:43 left in the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 91-75 Commissioner’s Cup win over Connecticut at Gateway Center Arena, Griner’s left arm caught Reese across the neck as the two battled for a rebound. Reese went hard to the floor. Officials reviewed the play and called a Flagrant 1. Under the 2026 CBA, that comes with a $500 fine, which the WNBA has confirmed Griner will pay.
Griner did not hesitate to extend her hand and help Reese up. There were no hard feelings between the two. Reese was unharmed, and she stepped to the line and split a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession.
Brittney Griner received a Flagrant 1 for this play against Angel Reese. pic.twitter.com/ukVqIzJN1j
— espnW (@espnW) June 3, 2026
Reactions online were split. Some fans felt Reese sold the contact.
“Angel Reese would be a great actress if she ever needed a second career,” one user wrote.
Another pushed back firmly: “You guys are calling this flopping? You must be out of your minds.”
A more measured read landed closer to the truth: “That looked more reckless than malicious, but I can see why they called the Flagrant 1. Tough contact, especially with Angel already in the air.”
Intent is hard to prove. But the sequence itself tells a clear story. Reese’s relentless pursuit of the ball put Griner in a scramble, and the foul was a product of that pressure more than anything deliberate. It’s the kind of play that happens when a 10-time All-Star is trying to keep up with someone who simply outworks her on the glass.
Brittney Griner finished the night with seven points, four rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes, adding three blocks and two steals. Solid in flashes, but not enough to slow a Dream team that is now 6-2. Reese posted a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double with five assists, and Rhyne Howard torched the Sun for 36 points on 12-of-24 shooting. Connecticut drops to 2-9.
Brittney Griner Returns To Atlanta, But The Reunion Fell Apart Months Ago
There was a layer of history to Tuesday’s matchup that made the foul land differently. Brittney Griner spent last season with the Dream, averaging 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 39 games. When Reese was traded to Atlanta in the offseason, Griner even welcomed her publicly on social media. A frontcourt pairing between those two had real promise on paper.
It never happened. In April, Brittney Griner signed a one-year deal with Connecticut, joining the Sun ahead of their relocation to Houston, where she was born and raised. So instead of playing alongside Reese, she was playing against her, in the building she used to call home.
The $500 fine is a footnote. What matters is the larger picture. Reese is building something real in Atlanta. She is averaging a double-double and helping the Dream climb the standings at a steady pace. Brittney Griner, at 35, is still a quality rotation piece, but she is no longer the player who reshapes a team’s ceiling. Tuesday night made that gap visible. Atlanta visits Indiana on Thursday. Connecticut heads to Chicago on Friday. Both teams are moving in opposite directions, and no flagrant foul changes that math.
