The WNBA removed a video showing Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese joking about a $400 wager on a Dallas Wings game against the Atlanta Dream. Neither player will face discipline.
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The exchange took place during WNBA All Star activities in Chicago before Atlanta beat Dallas 82 to 81. Reese later joked during a news conference that she would request the payment through Apple Pay.
League officials received criticism because the video appeared on an official WNBA account, even though annual player training covers a clear ban on betting on league competition.
“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 WNBA said.
“We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.”
The league said conversations about WNBA wagering can carry negative consequences even when players intend them as humour. Officials found no basis for punishment because the exchange was viewed as a mock bet rather than formal wagering.
The WNBA collective bargaining framework allows the commissioner to fine, suspend or dismiss any player found to have wagered directly or indirectly on a league game.
No evidence has been reported that either player used a sportsbook, transferred money or placed a regulated wager. That distinction separates the episode from recent cases involving documented betting activity or confidential information.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby lost NCAA eligibility after admitting to thousands of sports bets, including 40 involving Indiana while he played for the program. A court briefly restored eligibility, but Sorsby later dropped the case while pursuing an NFL supplemental draft route that did not proceed.
The NFL also suspended Arizona Cardinals executive Ryan Gold indefinitely in July. An investigation found that Gold shared confidential draft information and participated in prohibited NFL and college football parlays.