Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese got carried away in the fourth quarter against the Mystics after taunting Michaela Onyenwere after a block; a $500 fine looms over her.

Reese picked up her first technical foul of the 2026 WNBA playoffs in the blowout 93-75 win against the Mystics. The first-round series sweep came with its consequences.

"Our memo is manage emotions better and value possessions more," Reese said after the win. "And that's what we did the entire time... I mean, shout out to Washington. They're a really good team.”

Reese did not have her emotions under control with 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. Denying Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere at the basket, Reese grabbed the rebound but did not stop there. 

The forward went on to taunt Onyenwere, who swatted the ball out of Reese's hand. The ref called a tech without wasting any time, as reported by USA Today's Cydney Henderson. 

According to the WNBA's rules, a player's first two technical fouls in the postseason each carry a $500 fine. Reese will now have to pay the price for her on-court antics. 

First two techs in the postseason lead to a $500 fine each. The third comes with a $1000 fine and a warning letter. Another one and it's a one-game ban plus a $1,500 fine.

During the 2025 WNBA regular season, Reese faced a one-game suspension on Sept. 5, 2025, upon exceeding the technical foul limit while playing for the Chicago Sky.

This time around, she has played a crucial role in the first round of the playoffs. The forward will have to be careful when facing the No. 8 seed New York Liberty in the semifinal round. 

Reese’s performance received praise from her head coach, Karl Smesko. 

Coach Karl Smesko praises Reese despite emotional lapse

Against the Mystics, Reese was instrumental in securing the first playoff series win of her career. She followed Smesko’s game plan to the minute detail. 

"Angel (Reese) was huge," Smesko added, per the same report by USA Today's Cydney Henderson. "I mean, she was following the game plan to a T. She was fantastic." 

In the two blowout wins, the Dream forward averaged 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks. On Wednesday, she had the best plus-minus rating on the team at +26.  

Being tipped as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Reese will again look forward to making an impact against the Liberty, while having home-court advantage. 

Written by

Avishek Sarkar