The night started with familiar names on opposite sides of the court, but for the first time in a very different way. The Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun met Tuesday in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup opener at Gateway Center, and the atmosphere was far from ordinary. Angel Reese was commanding the paint like she has all season, leading the Dream to their fifth double-double performance in just eight games.
But midway through a physical matchup, a call from the officials stopped play and set social media on fire. Something unexpected had just happened.
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Brittney Griner Gets Flagrant 1 on Angel Reese
Tuesday night marked the first time the Dream faced Brittney Griner since she left Atlanta to join the Connecticut Sun ahead of the 2026 season. The reunion carried its own storyline before the opening tip, but the game itself quickly gave fans something more urgent to talk about.
The Atlanta Dream earned a convincing 91-75 win over the Connecticut Sun in the Commissioner’s Cup showdown. Angel Reese was all over the floor from start to finish, posting 12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block — her fifth double-double of the young season.
Brittney Griner Hit with Flagrant 1 on Angel Reese (Video) (Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
During the physical contest in the paint, Griner was called for a Flagrant 1 foul on Reese. Officials reviewed the play before confirming the call, stopping the game and drawing immediate attention from both benches. The foul added to an already charged atmosphere between two teams who know each other well.
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Griner has been averaging 13.5 points per game for Connecticut this season, making her one of the Sun’s primary weapons. But Tuesday night, the call against her shifted momentum at a key moment. Reese stayed on the floor and kept producing, while Rhyne Howard dropped 36 points and Allisha Gray added 26 to pace Atlanta’s offense.
The Dream entered the game with a 5-2 record, while the Sun came in at 2-8. The win extended Atlanta’s strong start to the season and gave them an important Commissioner’s Cup opening-round result.
Angel Reese Flagrant Foul Drama Was Already Brewing Before Tuesday Night
This flagrant call on Reese is not the first time she has found herself in a physical moment that grabbed league-wide attention this season. On May 24, Reese earned her first flagrant foul of the season when she accidentally elbowed Kyara Linskens in the face while battling for a rebound against the Phoenix Mercury. The foul was initially ruled a regular foul but upgraded upon review.
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Despite the controversy, Reese finished that game with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals, sealing an 82-80 Dream win with a clutch defensive play in the final seconds.
A Flagrant 1 carries a $500 fine under current WNBA rules, and accumulating four flagrant points results in a suspension.
Now the spotlight shifts back to Griner, and the question of whether the league will hand down any additional discipline could be the next chapter of this story.
