The WNBA found itself at the center of an unwanted gambling controversy Wednesday after its own official social media account posted, then quickly deleted, a video appearing to show Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers agreeing to a personal $400 wager on the outcome of their All-Star Weekend matchup. The clip’s swift removal didn’t stop it from being screenshotted and recirculated widely, and it didn’t stop Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy from weighing in with a pointed comparison to baseball’s most notorious gambling exile.
The video, originally posted ahead of Wednesday night’s game between the Wings and Dream, showed Reese and Bueckers at All-Star Weekend practice discussing the bet, with Reese telling Bueckers “if y’all win, you get $400.” A follow-up clip captured Bueckers, asked on gameday whether she remembered the wager, replying “We did?” before affirming, “Bet. I’m standing on that.” The Dream went on to beat the Wings 82-81, and a laughing Reese addressed the bet in her postgame press conference, saying, “I’ll be requesting her Apple Pay after this.”
Why the League Pulled Its Own Video
The problem is straightforward: wagering on WNBA games by players is explicitly prohibited. The league’s collective bargaining agreement devotes an entire section of Article XIV to gambling conduct, with Section 5(c) stating that “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.” That the footage came from the league’s own account made the misstep especially awkward, and it explains why the post disappeared within minutes of going up.
The WNBA addressed the fallout directly in a statement issued at 1:20 p.m. ET Thursday. “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,” the league said. “We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally. 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.” The league did not announce any disciplinary action against Reese or Bueckers, and it remains unclear whether Commissioner Cathy Engelbert intends to pursue further review.
Portnoy Invokes Pete Rose, and the Comparison Goes Viral
The moment the clip started circulating, Portnoy posted on X: “Pete Rose was suspended for life for doing less. Be interesting to see how @CathyEngelbert handles this.” The reference to Rose — whose name shot into the day’s top trending topics on the back of the reaction — carries obvious historical weight. Rose accepted a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball in August 1989 after an investigation, chronicled in the Dowd Report, concluded he had bet on games involving his own team while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds. He spent decades publicly denying he had wagered on baseball before admitting it in 2004, and Commissioner Rob Manfred rejected multiple bids for reinstatement during Rose’s lifetime, citing a lack of genuine contrition. Rose died in September 2024, and MLB posthumously lifted his ban this past May, clearing the way for Hall of Fame eligibility as early as 2028.
The comparison Portnoy drew is imperfect on its face — Rose’s ban stemmed from a sustained pattern of betting as a manager with access to team information, not a lighthearted, camera-ready wager between two players who both had a direct stake in wanting their own team to win. But the optics remain uncomfortable for a league that has spent the past several years building lucrative partnerships with legal sportsbooks while simultaneously training players annually on why they themselves cannot bet on the product. For a sport riding record attendance, TV ratings, and betting handle behind its new wave of stars, a self-inflicted gambling headline is the last thing the league wanted during its showcase week. Fans looking to follow the actual on-court stakes of Wings-Dream matchups and other NBA odds can find real-time lines without wading into the controversy themselves.
What Happens Next
For now, the practical fallout appears limited. Reese continued to reference the bet publicly after the game, posting a celebratory message on social media that remained live as of Thursday morning, suggesting neither player views the moment as a serious transgression. Whether Engelbert’s office pursues a formal hearing, as the CBA technically allows, is still unknown, and the league’s statement stopped well short of signaling punishment. Bettors and fans who want to track how public perception around WNBA integrity policies evolves — and how sportsbooks price WNBA markets going forward — can check the latest lines through resources like an odds guide for context on how prop and game markets are set. In the meantime, the “missed the mark” episode has become another reminder of how quickly a lighthearted moment can collide with the hard rules leagues put in place to protect competitive integrity — rules that, as Portnoy’s viral reaction underscored, have carried far heavier consequences in the past.
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