Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream blew out the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night, 96-82. Atlanta led by as many as 20 points, while Phoenix was never able to take the lead at any point in the contest.
All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, led by Rhyne Howard who had 23 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Allisha Gray added 20 points, while Jordin Canada finished with 17 points, five boards and four dimes.
Reese, for her part, recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. She also had four assists and one block in the win.
In addition to the victory, Reese also avoided a violation that would have brought her closer to a suspension and resulted in a fine.
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Early in the fourth quarter, Reese was called for a Flagrant 1 after hitting Natasha Mack in the face with her elbow. It came after the Dream All-Star got an offensive rebound and tried to quickly attack the basket for a shot.
Upon further review of the play, however, the referees deemed it a common foul and simply charged Reese with the offensive foul.
Reese already had two Flagrant 1 fouls this season. That being said, had the call stood, it would have put her close to the flagrant point limit.
According to the WNBA rules, a Flagrant 1 foul accounts for one flagrant point, while a Flagrant 2 accounts for two flagrant points. Once a player reaches four flagrant points, they are suspended for one game.
A player also receives a two-game suspension if they commit a Flagrant 2 foul while already having three flagrant points.
Furthermore, each flagrant point carries a $500 fine.
Considering that Reese already has seven technical fouls this season and is just one tech away from a suspension, she definitely needed that break from another potential problem.
