Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are safe from punishment from the WNBA.
Before Wednesday (7/29) night’s game between the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings, the WNBA posted a video on social media showing Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers appearing to make a friendly $400 wager on the game.
The post was quickly deleted, but many users on X (formerly Twitter) captured screenshots and recordings.
Because Reese and Bueckers were shown on video appearing to wager on the outcome of a game in which they were participants, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has the discretion to impose penalties. The players will not be punished, though, according to ESPN.
The WNBA released a statement on Thursday (7/30) about the deleted video.
“While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” the WNBA said in a statement. “We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.
“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”
In the clip, Reese -- while holding cash -- joked with Bueckers about betting on the Dream-Wings game:
“Imma see y’all on Wednesday,” Reese said. “If y’all lose …”
“I get to have that,” Bueckers replied, gesturing toward the cash.
“If y’all win, you get the 400,” Reese said.
“If we lose, then you get to keep it,” Bueckers said.
“No, you owe me 400,” Reese said.
In the deleted video, the WNBA’s social media team asked Bueckers to recall the bet the two players had made in Chicago during All-Star weekend:
“We did?” Bueckers asked. “At night?”
After it was clarified that the interaction had occurred during practice, Bueckers doubled down.
“Bet, I’m standing on that,” Bueckers said.
The caption on the WNBA's X post read: “We did?” followed by a laughing emoji and then, “Paige Bueckers on the bet she made with Angel Reese at All-Star weekend on tonight’s matchup.”
Bueckers’ Wings lost to Reese’s Dream 82-81 in Dallas. Reese finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals, while Bueckers had 16 points and six assists.
“Yeah, I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” Reese said during her postgame news conference with Dream reporters. “Paige is a great player. To hold her to 16 points, it’s tough.”
Betting of any kind is strictly prohibited under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which was signed before this season.
Section 5 of Article 14 in the CBA is dedicated entirely to gambling regulations. Subsections a and b prohibit fixing results and require players to disclose any betting offers made to them.
Subsection c is the relevant provision: “Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition shall, in the sole discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.”
It will be fascinating to see hear what Reese and Bueckers have to say about all this the next time they speak to the media.
