Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers made a playful bet on who would win the Atlanta Dream vs Dallas Wings game. This wager on their first game after the All-Star break saw things spiral as the video spread and the WNBA got in on the joke with a video and a caption.

“Paige Bueckers on the bet she made with Angel Reese at All-Star Weekend on tonight’s matchup,” wrote the WNBA’s social media team ahead of Wednesday’s game at College Park Center, before backtracking. The WNBA deleted the post shortly after backlash to it began circulating, before issuing an official statement.

“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,” the league said in its statement.

“We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.”

“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”

WNBA guidelines prohibit players from wagering on games

Players placing wagers on games is not allowed as per WNBA guidelines, specifically mentioned under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was signed earlier this year.

The CBA is very strict about this policy and even outlines the possible repercussions under Section 5(c).

“Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition shall, in the sole discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.”

The strict wording of the policy left open the possibility of Reese or Bueckers facing sanctions, but it appears as though the duo will not face any punishment for their $400 bet, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

“There will be no punishment for Reese or Bueckers per source,” wrote Philippou.

While the league is choosing to let it slide, it seems as though the Dream forward did not want to leave $400 on the table based on the outcome of the game.

Reese joked about the wager after the Wings game

“I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” she joked during her postgame press conference.

‘Bayou Barbie’ delivered one of her best performances of the season by finishing the night with 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Six of her points came in the final quarter, which saw the Dream claw back a 12-point deficit in the final ten minutes.

Their 82-81 win saw them complete a 3-0 regular season sweep over the Wings this season. Wednesday’s game was much closer than the 17-point drubbing Dallas received the last time they played on May 22 at Gateway Center Arena.

With Dallas leading 81-77 and 18.7 seconds left, Ogunbowale was called for a flagrant foul on Gray’s three-point attempt. Gray hit all three free throws, then took the inbounds pass and hit a contested jumper in the lane to give Atlanta its first lead of the second half with 15 seconds remaining.

On Dallas’ final possession, Bueckers brought the ball up but gave it up rather than creating a shot herself, passing to Shepard, who couldn’t find an opening and kicked it out to Kuier. Kuier missed a contested step-back three with 2 seconds left, and Shepard’s putback attempt at the buzzer also missed.

Bueckers said afterward she wished she’d kept the ball and tried to create a shot herself.

While Bueckers may rue her team’s missed game-winning opportunity, she can take solace from how her team controlled much of the game.

Reese, though, won the game and the individual stats battle. While she may not get her Apple Pay if the league has anything to do with it, she surely has gotten the bragging rights over Bueckers.