👀 FLAGRANT, Angel Reese SMACKS Thornton FACE
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In a physical and competitive start to the Chicago Sky’s game at the Golden State Valkyries, both teams traded baskets early with tough shot-making and aggressive play.
Angel Reese got off to a slow start for the Sky, hitting just one of her first five shots and scoring only two points in the early going.
Midway through the first half, Reese was involved in a loose-ball scramble with Kayla Thornton. The two players became tangled diving toward the sideline, prompting officials to review the play on the monitor.
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Kenzo Fukuda, a Bay Area basketball reporter, provided an update during the review:
“Officials upgraded the foul by Angel Reese on Kayla Thornton to a flagrant.”
The call gave Reese her second foul of the night, sending her to the bench earlier than head coach Tyler Marsh likely intended. Both Marsh and Reese appeared to disagree with the ruling, which stemmed from Reese’s hand coming up toward Thornton’s face during the scramble. Thornton stayed down briefly before being helped to her feet and re-entering the game shortly after.
Reese has struggled offensively to start the season. The second-year forward out of LSU is shooting just 38.5% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. Despite the efficiency issues, she’s been active on the glass and has recorded back-to-back double-doubles, including 18 points and 17 rebounds in Tuesday’s win over the Sparks.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5).
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Chicago started the game with a 4-10 mark. That was better than just Connecticut in the Eastern Conference standings.
This game marks the start of a four-game road trip for Chicago. The Sky will head to Los Angeles to face the Sparks on Sunday, then after a short break, they will visit the Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics. They’ll return home to Chicago on July 9.
