Clark's 7th technical leaves her one foul from a ban
Caitlin Clark picked up her seventh technical foul of the season in the Indiana Fever's 123-88 win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, leaving her one technical away from an automatic one-game suspension. Fans following Nancy Armour and other WNBA coverage should know she is tied with Angel Reese for the league lead in technicals.
Key Takeaways
- Clark's seventh technical came after a late-third-quarter "Scoreboard" exchange with Connecticut's Saniya Rivers; both players were assessed technicals.
- An eighth technical this season would trigger an automatic one-game suspension under WNBA rules.
- Clark finished with 27 points and 11 assists in 27 minutes as Indiana improved to 17-10 and fifth in the standings.
- Her seven technicals are tied with Atlanta's Angel Reese for the WNBA lead; she has 15 in her career, per Elias Sports Bureau.
- Clark and coach Stephanie White said they will not dial back her intensity to dodge a possible ban.
What triggered Caitlin Clark's seventh technical foul?
With the Fever leading 95-67 late in the third quarter, Clark drew a reach-in foul on Olivia Nelson-Ododa with 28.8 seconds left while being defended by Rivers. As Clark tossed the ball to an official, Rivers gestured toward her and the pair exchanged words.
"She said she was locking me up, so I said, 'Scoreboard,' and the ref didn't like that," Clark said afterward, per ESPN. Officials gave both Clark and Rivers technical fouls.
How close is Clark to a one-game suspension?
Clark is one technical foul from an automatic one-game ban. Her seven technicals this season match Reese for the league high. Elias Sports Bureau lists her with 15 career technicals, second-most in a player's first three seasons behind Reese's 19.
Asked about the looming suspension risk, Clark said she did not think it would "hinder" her style. "I'm never going to back down," she said, adding she will try to control her emotions while keeping the "intensity and that fire" that defines her game—and that she will not play with the next technical "in the back of my head."
What did Stephanie White say about managing the tech count?
Fever coach Stephanie White dismissed the idea of a strategic plan to avoid technicals. "Anybody who thinks that I have a plan to be strategic about technical fouls is crazy," White said. She stressed Clark must "pick and choose," noting awareness matters, and joked that if Clark wants to be strategic about which game she sits, "she'll let her fly."
Indiana scored a franchise-record 123 points in the blowout. Clark went 8-of-13 from the field with five threes. The Fever begin a three-game trip at Seattle on Tuesday. For more celebrity sports fallout, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub.