Hartley Hair-Pull on Angel Reese Ignites Heated Exchange in Sky vs Sun Clash

Sparks flew when Bria Hartley of the Connecticut Sun grabbed Chicago Sky star Angel Reese's hair during a rebound attempt, igniting a tense altercation that drew technicals and nearly escalated into a full team confrontation.

Jun 13, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts during the game against the Atlanta Dream during the first half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Tempers flared in Connecticut when the Sun faced off against the Chicago Sky Sunday after a dust up ensued midway through the third quarter.

Connecticut guard Bria Hartley grabbed Sky star Angel Reese’s hair during an attempt at corralling a rebound. Reese obviously upset, immediately confronted Hartley, which caused Connecticut’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa to intervene. It’s not known what was said between Reese and Nelson-Ododa, but it drew a reaction from Reese where she physically pushed her opponent away. 

Angel Reese was READY to square up with Bria Hartley after getting her hair pulled 😳

Chi-Town Barbie losing her MIND

pic.twitter.com/M1DgYIw4nJ

— Trending Sports Podcast (@TrendingSportsP) June 15, 2025

Teammates from both sides quickly rallied around to diffuse the situation, but tensions continued to simmer. As players were being separated, Sun veteran center Tina Charles became particularly animated—shouting across the court and needing to be physically restrained by both referees and teammates.

Tempers flared after a loose ball foul was called on Sun's Bria Hartley.

Angel Reese and Tina Charles each received a technical foul. pic.twitter.com/jfZNxvp2UR

— espnW (@espnW) June 15, 2025

Officials paused the game to review the incident. After a brief delay, technical fouls were issued to Reese and Nelson-Ododa for unsportsmanlike conduct. Hartley received a common foul, a decision that raised eyebrows from some fans and frustrated the Sky bench, as they felt the hair pull warranted a flagrant-1 given its unnecessary nature.

Bria Hartley pulled Angel Reese's hair & then Tina Charles gets pissed off at Angel.

Bria was in the wrong. The hair pull was unnecessary & not a play. She pulled Angel's hair with her left hand while trying to go for the ball with her right. It's a flagrant.#Skytown #WNBA pic.twitter.com/acXD5Mhje2

— Sha Hartley (@shahartley) June 15, 2025

The altercation marked a boiling point in an already physical game that featured aggressive play in the paint and tight rebounding battles. Reese, who has made headlines for both her gritty play and vocal leadership, stayed in the game and appeared energized afterward—grabbing three boards and scoring twice in the next few possessions.

Though the situation didn’t escalate further, the tension remained palpable, hinting at a budding rivalry between the two squads as the season heats up. But in this instance, Reese and the Sky got the best of the matchup, with Chicago notching the win behind the first career triple-double from Angel.