2023 WNBA MVP finalist Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun allowed frustration to boil over on a hard foul against Chicago Sky rookie forward Angel Reese, leading to a third-quarter ejection in a tight game.
When battling for position with Reese for a rebound off a Chicago miss, Thomas swung her left arm toward Reese, hitting her in the neck and sending her to the floor.
Following a review, Thomas was given a flagrant two and ejected from the game. She finished her brief outing with nine points and six turnovers, marking just the second time in Thomas’ illustrious career that she scored fewer than 10 points with six or more turnovers in a game.
Reese’s offensive-rebounding ability has quickly translated to the WNBA. The former LSU star grabbed 15 offensive boards through her first three games, tied for the second-most in league history.
Before the game, Reese – who began her college career at Maryland – spoke about playing Thomas and forward Brionna Jones, two former Terrapins, for the first time.
“Alyssa Thomas and Bri Jones are players I’ve always admired and watched, so I’m excited for the matchups tonight,” Reese said.
She probably didn’t have “get slammed to the court with an arm to the throat by Alyssa Thomas” on her nightly bingo card, but there’s arguably no better sign of the impact she’s had early in her career than getting under the skin of one of the league’s best players.
