Has WNBA issued $80 fine to Bria Hartley for pulling Angel Reese’s hair? Viral claim debunked

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Connecticut Sun - Source: Imagn
Has WNBA issued $80 fine to Bria Hartley for pulling Angel Reese’s hair? Viral claim debunked. [photo: Imagn]

Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley pulled Chicago Sky star Angel Reese’s hair in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. The foul prompted Reese to react, flailing her arms first before staring down the Sun's starting point guard. Connecticut forwards Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Tina Charles defended their teammate and confronted Reese.

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After a review, the referees issued technical fouls to Charles and Reese, who argued while teammates and officials separated them. Hartley was called for a loose-ball foul.

After the game, NBA Centel, a parody account on X (formerly Twitter), jumped in on the controversy by writing:

“The WNBA has issued an $80.50 fine to Bria Hartley for intentionally pulling Angel Reese’s hair, before tax.”
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However, NBA Centel’s post was just a joke intended to poke fun at the incident. A personal foul does not merit a penalty or a fine.

The incident occurred after Kamilla Cardoso, guarded by Nelson-Ododa, muffed a 3-foot banked shot. Reese went for the offensive rebound against former Chicago Sky teammate Marina Mabrey. While the All-Star forward tried to grab control of the ball, Hartley slapped the ball with her right hand but pulled Reese’s hair with her left.

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After a brief lull, the game continued without further incident. Reese had five points, two assists and one steal in the third quarter. She helped the Chicago Sky take a 59-54 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Bria Hartley ran the Sun offense and contributed an assist to Tina Charles. Connecticut kept the game close but struggled to get rhythm because of turnovers.


Fans react to Bria Hartley pulling Angel Reese’s hair

The incident quickly went viral, with fans weighing in.

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Angel Reese finished the game with her first career triple-double. She put up 11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks. Bria Hartley struggled, finishing the game with six points behind 3-for-10 shooting, including 0-for-3 from deep.

The Sun and the Sky will meet again in mid-August.

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Edited by Michael Macasero
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