Angel Reese’s Suspension Timing Sparks Suspicion Ahead of Clash With Caitlin Clark’s Fever

On September 2, the world found out about Angel Reese’s official big-screen debut in Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite. Just a day later, she was out here writing scripts of her own….at least that’s what the fans are saying. Sure, the Hollywood debut turned heads, but a development after that heated matchup with the Connecticut Sun on September 3, 2025, and the timing of it has set the WNBA community ablaze with their comments and theories.

On Wednesday night, Angel Reese picked up her eighth technical of the season – though this one felt a bit unlucky. While battling for a rebound with Aaliyah Edwards on the block, Reese ended up catching Edwards across the head with her hand. According to WNBA rules, once a player or a coach racks up eight technical fouls in the regular season, they’re automatically suspended for one game without pay. Last season, the limit was seven, but with the schedule now expanded to 44 games, the league raised the foul limit to eight. Interestingly, every two additional technical fouls thereafter would result in another automatic suspension.

Reese will now have to sit out the next game, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. The suspension rules her out of the Chicago Sky’s clash with the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a matchup that could have major playoff implications for the Fever. That’s why some fans believe Reese may have picked up the foul on purpose to avoid the game, adding even more fuel to the drama surrounding her.

Naturally, social media lit up with reactions. Fans wasted no time spinning their own conspiracy theories about Reese’s suspension and what it really meant.

Fans React to Angel Reese Getting Her 8th Technical

Some fans were pretty elaborate about why they think Angel Reese may have “ducked” the game, like this one fan who posted, “Angel Reese purposely getting suspended so she don’t have to play the Fever is such a bi–h move. She can’t stand not being the fan draw. So she’s gonna pout in a corner.” For starters, Reese holds a rough 1-5 record against the Fever, and her rivalry with Caitlin Clark has been one of the most talked-about storylines all season.

Reese has already gone up against the Fever twice this season and lost both times. In their last meeting, she was held to just 4 points, a performance that fans haven’t forgotten. That’s why many believe her suspension was no accident. As one fan put it, “She did it so she wouldn’t have to face the Fever on Friday! #WNBA #Mebounds.” 

Remember the season opener between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever? The Fever cruised to a 35-point win, but the focus quickly shifted to Angel Reese. She grabbed 17 rebounds, with 7 of them coming on the offensive glass — most off her own missed shots. And that’s where the whole “mebounds” trend began.

Some fans took the foul apart frame by frame, too. One even wrote, “It sure did not look accidental 🙃.” Now, whether it was intentional or not is still up for debate. The officials really had no choice but to call the technical, given the clear contact to Edwards’ head. To her credit, though, Reese immediately went into discussion with the refs, alongside coach Tyler Marsh, which at least suggests she might not have meant it the way the internet is making it out to be.

Another fan chimed in with a different angle, saying, “Dang Angel Reese getting suspended for the Indiana fever game ,the WNBA probably will rescind it to salvage any chances of ratings.” It’s true that there’s always a chance the league could rescind a technical, especially if there wasn’t clear malicious intent behind it. But at the same time, nothing is guaranteed.

But there’s no denying this is a huge blow for the WNBA. When the 2025 schedule first dropped, plenty of fans raised eyebrows at the league’s decision to have five Sky vs. Fever matchups. But it was easy to see why – every time Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark shared the court, it felt like a marquee event. Just look back at June 23, 2024, when 2.3 million viewers tuned in to watch Reese’s Sky edge out Clark’s Fever in a thrilling 88-87 finish. Their rivalry, born in college, still drives massive attention, even if both stars have tried to downplay any bad blood.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Because of injuries, the so-called Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of the WNBA have only faced off once this year, back on opening night. That matchup averaged 2.7 million viewers, peaked at 3.1 million, and went down as the most-watched WNBA regular-season game in 25 years.

Fast forward to now, and things look very different. With Clark sidelined and Reese suspended, the hype around the game would be next to zero. One fan even joked, “Cathy make that call you know you want that money.” And honestly, it’s hard to argue. If Reese somehow suited up and led the Sky to a win, it could flip the Fever’s playoff race upside down and add another fiery chapter to the Reese vs. Clark rivalry.