A $400 friendly bet between Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers has caused the WNBA severe backlash. The league’s official social media page posted a video of the wager and quickly deleted it. But by the time the post was taken down, it was already too late. After neither player faced any reprimand, the backlash came swiftly. National reporter Alicia Jay agrees with the league’s decision not to mete out punishment, but argues the need for accountability.
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It was a clip that was posted by the WNBA,” Jay said on the We Need to Talk podcast on Thursday. “If this is something that is not condoned, which it is not, right? It’s definitely something that players are not supposed to be doing per WNBA rules, sports, all of that. But if it’s not, why are we posting this? Why are we posting this moment that happened, this fun moment that happened between two players? Now, should they get a stiff warning probably from it? Yeah. I mean, I personally don’t think anything else should be handed down.”
The situation arose when the two first-round WNBA picks made a $400 friendly wager on their upcoming game during WNBA All-Star Weekend on Wednesday, July 29. The clip posted by the WNBA brought on calls for the league to mete out appropriate punishment to both players according to the WNBA rulebook.
As it turns out, neither Bueckers nor Reese will face fines, suspensions, or any form of official punishment. But while that decision has done little to quiet the controversy, it has instead fueled accusations of a perceived double standard and “special treatment.”
The video clip in question was recorded during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. And as Jay acknowledged, the context does matter; it genuinely appeared to be a lighthearted, fun exchange between two of the league’s biggest stars. Angel Reese had offered Bueckers a $400 cash bet on their upcoming matchup scheduled just a couple of days after the All-Star Game.
Under the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, any player caught wagering on WNBA competitions is subject to a fine, suspension, or outright dismissal. However, judging by the league’s decision and the statement released after the deleted post, they appear to have determined that the exchange did not constitute a formal wager within the meaning of that rule, and was nothing but a joke.
“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 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”
Whether the league will still follow up with any further action or clarification on the matter remains to be seen.
Moreover, the game that Resse and Bueckers appeared to have wagered on ended up in a narrow 82-81 win for the Atlanta Dream. Had the wager been real, Paige Bueckers would have been out $400.