SerpApi.Org
Angel Reese's turbulent week continued Sunday when the Atlanta Dream forward left a game against her former team, the Chicago Sky, with a left leg injury, just days after being at the center of a league controversy involving Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello.
Brondello was suspended one game without pay by the WNBA after being caught referring to Reese as a "protected species" during a game between the two teams, a comment made while disagreeing with a foul call.
Reese responded on social media at the time, writing "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" alongside a clown emoji. Brondello later apologized directly to Reese, saying she understood her words "carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league."
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Reese subsequently said she appreciated the league's response and Brondello's apology, framing the episode as an instance of discrimination that had been properly addressed.
Days later, Reese's leg appeared to give out as she attempted a jump-stop layup early in the fourth quarter against Chicago. She fell to the floor, briefly got back to her feet, then went down again moments later.
She returned to Atlanta's bench and was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a left leg injury, though the Dream did not provide a further update following their 93-91 win.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko described the tense atmosphere on the sideline following the injury.
"It's hard because we're in the timeout. It seemed like a really long timeout and there wasn't a lot being said because we were all just looking at Angel," Smesko said. "And when I was looking at her, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to go out there and keep playing because she's competitive and she wants to win the game. I just didn't feel comfortable with it because she looked like she was in a lot of pain."
The injury came at the end of one of Reese's more difficult performances of the season. Before leaving the game, she had already logged 20 minutes and struggled significantly against her former club, finishing with just eight points and five rebounds on 3-of-13 shooting, including a missed three-point attempt and three turnovers.
Reese entered Sunday's game averaging 15.7 points and a league-leading 11.8 rebounds per game, and had posted 23 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Toronto, coincidentally Brondello's team, just two days earlier, marking her 17th double-double of the season, also a league high.
Despite the rocky outing, Atlanta held on for the win thanks to a game-winning buzzer-beater layup from guard Jordin Canada, capping a wild finish after the Dream had squandered a 22-point lead in the second half.
The victory improved Atlanta to 16-10 on the season and moved Reese to 2-0 against Chicago since the Dream acquired her in a trade for two first-round draft picks back in April.
The injury adds uncertainty heading into next weekend's WNBA All-Star Game on July 25. Atlanta's next game isn't scheduled until July 29, giving Reese a window to recover, though her status for the All-Star showcase remains unclear in the meantime.
