What WNBA Will Fine Brittney Griner For Flagrant Foul on Angel Reese
Connecticut Sun veteran Brittney Griner received a Flagrant 1 foul on Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese after a scuffle in the paint during their June 2 contest. As a result, Griner now owes the WNBA money, $500 to be exact, assuming the flagrant isn't rescinded.
Tuesday night's game between the Sun and the Dream (which the Dream won by a score of 91-75) had several interesting storylines attached. Perhaps the most compelling of all was the fact that Brittney Griner was playing against the team she spent 2025 playing for, before joining Connecticut via free agency this past offseason.
While Griner understands that retirement isn't too far away for her at this point, she joined Connecticut because she believes there's still a lot for her to offer on the court.
Angel Reese did not appreciate what Griner had to offer her on the court last night.
At one point in the contest, Reese and Griner were jockeying for rebound positioning when the two got tangled up. After a moment, Griner seemed to wrap her arm around Reese's chest and send her sprawling to the ground.
Griner was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for the exchange, which has since gone viral on social media.
Brittney Griner received a Flagrant 1 for this play against Angel Reese. pic.twitter.com/ukVqIzJN1j
— espnW (@espnW) June 3, 2026
WNBA Flagrant Foul Fines Have Gone Up
If this exchange and ensuing Flagrant 1 designation had happened a year ago, before the WNBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Griner would have been fined $200.
But because players are making much more with this new CBA, this also means that there are bigger financial consequences for Flagrant fouls. And Griner will actually be fined $500 for this Flagrant 1 on Angel Reese.
If the ruling had been a Flagrant 2, Griner would have been ejected from the game and fined $1,000, as players must pay $500 for each "point" of their Flagrant foul.
What's more, these points will remain with the player throughout the season. If they accrue four points total, they'll be suspended for one game. They'll get suspended for another two games if they reach six total flagrant "points", or if they receive a Flagrant 2 while already having three points.
Nobody in the WNBA has more than one point right now, as there have only been Flagrant 1 fouls and no ejections to this juncture. But this will be an interesting storyline to follow as the season progresses, since missing two games for four points seems pretty feasible, given how physical the league can be.
So the league's premier players, and their coaches, would be wise to keep this top of mind.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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