In the New York Liberty’s final regular-season game against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night, Sabrina Ionescu was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul after her arm made contact with Angel Reese’s face. The play occurred with 5.6 seconds left in the second quarter at Barclays Center.
Ionescu was bringing the ball upcourt when she encountered Reese near the three-point line. As Reese reached toward the ball, Ionescu’s forearm or elbow struck Reese in the face. Officials initially called an offensive foul, then reviewed the play and upgraded it to a Flagrant 1. Reese clutched her face, went to the locker room, returned to make both free throws, and then sat out the rest of the game.
Dream coach Karl Smesko said Reese was medically cleared and could have returned but the team chose to hold her out for the second half as a precaution with the playoffs approaching. Reese finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes. Atlanta won 83-65 to clinch the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round; New York finished as the No. 8 seed.
Under WNBA rules, a Flagrant 1 (unnecessary contact) carries an automatic $500 fine. League sources and reports indicate Ionescu faces that standard fine and one disciplinary point; there has been no announcement of a multi-game suspension or a $20,000 penalty. The Commissioner retains discretion for additional discipline, but none has been reported as of Thursday.
The contact was widely described as inadvertent. Some fans questioned the upgrade to a flagrant, while others noted the physical nature of the late-season matchup. Reese is expected to be available for the playoffs. Ionescu’s foul stands as her only flagrant of the 2026 season. The incident added a contentious note to an otherwise decisive Dream victory that locked in postseason positioning for both clubs.
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