May 12, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) is called for an offensive foul on Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the first half at College Park Center. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
By Brandon Contes on

The WNBA went all in on Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers appearing to wager on their game before realizing it was probably a bad idea.

Before Wednesday night’s matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings, the WNBA posted a video on social media that appeared to place a personal $400 wager on whose team would win the game. Considering the clear line that pro sports leagues typically draw at players betting on their own games, the WNBA choosing to promote it seemed like a curious decision.

Shortly after promoting the video, however, the WNBA did think better of it and deleted the social media post. Thursday afternoon, a WNBA spokesperson issued a statement on the since-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. We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally,” the statement reads. “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.”

This one shouldn’t fall on Cathy Engelbert, since the commissioner isn’t the person posting and sharing videos from the WNBA’s social media accounts. But it’s just another example of the WNBA struggling to sidestep any potential controversy or bad optics.

Betting of any kind is strictly prohibited by the WNBA’s CBA, which states any wagering could lead to a fine, suspension or disqualification at the sole discretion of the commissioner.

Section 5(c) of the new WNBA states, “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.”

Are Reese and Bueckers going to be penalized? Probably not. The WNBA already looks bad for promoting the wager, but the league would look even worse if they promoted the wager as a fun moment and then punished Reese or Bueckers for it.

Realistically, players in all leagues are probably making private wagers with each other. Reese and Bueckers making a $400 bet isn’t the start of some larger betting scandal that will tarnish the league. But any league promoting its players betting on a game they’re playing in is going to be a bad look. And somehow, the WNBA wasn’t immediately aware of that.

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com

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