The WNBA officially rescinded the technical foul assessed to Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers during Friday's game against the Atlanta Dream.
Officials originally penalized Bueckers in the third quarter after she clapped three times following a whistle. At the time, Dallas was staging a comeback before ultimately losing 86-69.
The league's reversal wipes out Bueckers's automatic $500 fine, preserving her clean disciplinary record for the season.
Bueckers expressed surprise over the original whistle. On Saturday, the second-year guard stated that she was simply celebrating during a scoring run.
"I was hyped and showing passion and joy and I got penalized for that," Bueckers told press during a practice session after the game.
"I know they're putting an emphasis on controlling the game more, not letting it get to be a bloodbath as much as it was last year. [But] we were down a ton and we're making a run, so we're obviously going to be hyped up and showing a bunch of passion and joy and fire, like, that's what basketball's all about."
Paige Bueckers-Alysha Clark Bet Stays Intact After WNBA Call
Teammate Alysha Clark reportedly assisted Bueckers with the official appeal process. The veteran forward provided evidence to submit to the league, saying she felt the penalty was unwarranted.
The reversal keeps a friendly offseason bet alive between the pair. Bueckers wagered that she could finish the season without a technical foul. However, Clark joked that she preferred to win legitimately rather than via an undeserving penalty.
Despite her frustration with the whistle, Bueckers acknowledged that WNBA officials face a very difficult task.
"I would never want to be a ref. It's a really extremely hard job," she said. "And they get criticized just as much as the players."
Bueckers and the Wings next face the Las Vegas Aces at home on Thursday at 8 PM ET, live on Prime.
