Angel Reese finally got the last laugh over her close friend, Paige Bueckers, as the Atlanta Dream edged out the Dallas Wings 82-81 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. However, while the dramatic finish saw the Dream score 30 points in the final quarter to win the game, Angel Reese’s mind was on collecting her winnings from Paige Bueckers.
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Following the win over Dallas, Reese humorously reminded reporters about a friendly wager she made with Bueckers during All-Star break. “Yeah, I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” she joked during the post-game press conference. Even the league shared a video of the interaction where Reese said whoever wins on Wednesday gets $400, ahead of the game. However, the WNBA’s official page deleted the video shortly after posting it.
The video showed Reese holding hundred-dollar bills as the two players seemingly agreed on a wager. Afterward, the cameraman spoke with Bueckers.
“At All-Star Weekend, you and Angel made a bet on this game, is that right?” the cameraman asked Bueckers, to which she replied, “We did?”
The video was likely deleted the moment the WNBA understood they had slipped up. That’s because the W’s current CBA has a provision prohibiting betting for players.
“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,” Section 5(c) states.
Naturally, posting such a video appeared to conflict with the league’s rules surrounding wagering. However, the WNBA later clarified that the interaction was never viewed as a genuine betting incident.
In a statement, the league said: “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. 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.”
The Athletic’s Annie Costabile also reported that neither Reese nor Bueckers will face any disciplinary action stemming from the incident.
As for the game itself, the two stars played hard to get the win. Their on-court interaction included an exchange where Bueckers was called for blocking Reese, which led to the Wings guard theatrically clapping. Earlier in the season, Fever star Caitlin Clark picked up a technical foul for a similar reaction.
Unfortunately for Bueckers and the Wings, the night ended in disappointment. Bueckers finished with 16 points, hitting only one of her five 3s and logging 4 fouls and 5 turnovers. Meanwhile, Reese praised the Dream’s defensive effort while also giving Bueckers her flowers.
“Paige is a great player. When you hold her to 16 points, it’s tough. She’s just so good. Her mid-range is obviously so good,” she told the media.
“But I think our defense tonight, Rhyne [Howard] did a good job. And [Isobel] Borlase when she was thrown at her. And everybody that was thrown at her tonight, I think they did a good job holding her together.”
However, with Bueckers staying tight-lipped and the league taking down the video, we’ll never know whether Reese actually did send her rival the Apple Pay request.