The WNBA responded to backlash over a social media post featuring a video of Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers betting on an upcoming game.
Released Wednesday, the video featured Reese and Bueckers agreeing to a $400 bet ahead of All-Star weekend if their respective teams lost.
“I know y’all gonna lose …, but if y’all win, you get the $400,” Reese said as she held a wad of $100.
“You owe me $400 [if the Dream beat the Wings],” she added.
In another video, Bueckers said with a laugh she “stands on” the bet while she walked the tunnel before Wednesday’s game.
“Yeah, I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” Reese said Wednesday following her team’s win over Dallas.
The WNBA posted the video on its social media account, which stands in violation of rules barring players from wagering money on games. On Thursday, the league released a statement clarifying that the videos were intended as jokes.
“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’s statement read. “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.”