{"id":793183,"date":"2026-07-30T11:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T11:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793183\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T11:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T11:01:12","slug":"the-wnba-gets-angel-reese-and-paige-bueckers-in-trouble-after-removing-a-video-about-an-illegal-bet-between-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793183\/","title":{"rendered":"The WNBA gets Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in trouble after removing a video about an \u201cillegal\u201d bet between them"},"content":{"rendered":"

The WNBA <\/a>found itself at the center of an unexpected controversy after deleting a social media video showing Dallas Wings<\/a> rookie Paige Bueckers and Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese agreeing to a friendly wager ahead of their matchup.<\/p>\n

Although the video was quickly removed from the league’s official X account, fans had already recorded and shared it across social media, prompting debate about whether the exchange violated the WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).<\/p>\n

Azzi Fudd gets completely soaked by Wings teammates after making history at WNBA All-Star Game<\/p>\n

The clip, which was filmed during All-Star Weekend in Chicago, showed the two young stars discussing a $400 bet before facing one another on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“This is how the rich stay rich,” Bueckers joked.<\/p>\n

“You gotta save this money. I will see you next week on Wednesday,” Reese replied.<\/p>\n

On its face, the conversation appeared lighthearted, but it immediately raised concerns because the WNBA’s rules prohibit players from betting on league games, regardless of the amount involved.<\/p>\n

The league deleted the post shortly after it appeared, but the move only fueled further discussion online. Many fans questioned how the video made it onto the league’s official account in the first place before being taken down.<\/p>\n

Social media users were quick to criticize the situation.<\/p>\n

“Absolute clown show of a sports league. It really needs an overhaul, top to bottom. Put someone with actual experience in charge,” wrote one user.<\/p>\n

Another added, “Would kill to listen to the WNBA communications director explain that players betting on their games is against league rules, and not a cute, girl-boss social media post to a 20-year-old summer intern.”<\/p>\n

Others questioned whether the players themselves could face consequences.<\/p>\n

“That’s frustrating. Guess the rules mattered the second they posted. What\u2019s the punishment usually for this kind of betting?” another fan wrote.<\/p>\n

League gambling rules leave little room for exceptions<\/p>\n

Professional sports leagues have significantly tightened their gambling policies in recent years as sports betting has expanded across the United States.<\/p>\n

Like the NBA, NFL and MLB, the WNBA maintains strict rules designed to protect the integrity of competition.<\/p>\n

While leagues have embraced partnerships with sportsbooks, players, coaches and team personnel remain subject to strict restrictions regarding wagering on league contests.<\/p>\n

According to the WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, gambling on league games can result in serious discipline.<\/p>\n

As Yahoo Sports’ Ishaan Bhattacharya noted after the video surfaced, players found in violation of the rule could be “subject to a fine, suspension, and\/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA,” depending on the circumstances.<\/p>\n

At this stage, however, neither the WNBA nor either player has publicly announced that an investigation is underway or that disciplinary action is being considered.<\/p>\n

It also remains unclear whether the exchange represented a genuine wager or simply playful banter between two players with an established friendship.<\/p>\n

Both Reese and Bueckers have emerged as two of the league’s brightest young stars.<\/p>\n

Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, has quickly become one of Dallas’ most important players after an outstanding collegiate career at UConn.<\/p>\n

Reese, meanwhile, has continued to build on her popularity following her NCAA championship run at LSU and has developed into one of the Dream’s leaders.<\/p>\n

The incident overshadowed what turned into one of the most exciting games of the week.<\/p>\n

Atlanta edged Dallas 82-81 thanks to Allisha Gray’s dramatic game-winning basket in the closing seconds.<\/p>\n

Reese delivered one of her strongest all-around performances of the season, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals.<\/p>\n

Bueckers answered with 16 points, four rebounds and six assists while continuing to showcase the all-around game that made her one of college basketball’s most celebrated prospects.<\/p>\n

For now, attention remains focused on the deleted social media clip rather than the game itself. Until the WNBA comments publicly, it remains uncertain whether the league will view the exchange as a harmless joke or something requiring further review under its gambling policies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The WNBA found itself at the center of an unexpected controversy after deleting a social media video showing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":793184,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":["post-793183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=793183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/793184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=793183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=793183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=793183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}