The WNBA faced significant online attention following the posting of, and subsequent deletion of, a controversial post from its official social media account. This occurred prior to a scheduled game between the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings.
The post featured a video of players Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, seemingly engaging in a lighthearted $400 bet regarding the outcome of their impending match. This caused concern as it appeared to show them violating league rules on betting.
Although quickly removed, the WNBA addressed the situation in a statement released on Thursday. According to The Athletic, the league stated: “While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies. We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.”
The league also emphasized to the players involved that even joking about betting on games could have unintended repercussions, urging a reexamination of how such topics are handled.
On the court, the Atlanta Dream secured a narrow victory over the Dallas Wings with a final score of 82-81. Angel Reese concluded the game with notable statistics: 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Paige Bueckers had 16 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
“Yeah, I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” Reese humorously commented in a postgame interview. “Paige is a great player. To hold her to 16 points, it’s tough.”
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