Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is inching closer to a one-game suspension.
Clark picked up her fifth technical foul of the season in the Fever’s 86-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Monday, June 22, for clapping during an altercation that resulted in technical fouls being called on Indiana’s Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Myisha Hines-Allen, in addition to Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas.
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Under WNBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended for one game upon receiving their eighth technical foul during the regular season. Every two additional technical fouls received during the regular season will result in an additional one-game suspension.
Although Clark publicly stated she has deserved several technical fouls throughout the first 16 games the season, she disagreed with the one called against her on Monday.
“It’s ridiculous. I got a technical for clapping, so we should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I’m going to be suspended for if I’m going to get technicals for clapping,” said Clark, who finished with 24 points and nine assists. “If any technical should be taken away, it should be that one…I don’t understand it.”
More: More fouls, more frustration: What’s really going on with WNBA officiating?
If the technical foul against Clark isn’t rescinded, she’ll be three technical fouls away from a one-game suspension with 28 more regular-season games left in the season for the Fever. And she’s not the only one.
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Clark and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese are tied for the technical fouls this season with five each.
There’s been an uptick in technical fouls this season as players adjust to the new freedom of movement emphasis. There have been 98 technical fouls called, including three rescinded, compared to 53 at this point last season. (The total includes all types of technical fouls, not just unsportsmanlike conduct.) Despite the drastic increase in technicals, Sue Blauch, the WNBA’s head of referee performance and development, told USA TODAY there “have not been any changes to our sportsmanship guidelines.””Respect for the game was not actually a point of education this season,” Blauch said. “Players generally know what’s permissible in terms of a heat of the moment response… We never want to adjudicate passion out of the game … but overreactions to a call or a no-call … clapping at an official, waving ’em off, things like that. Obviously there’s some magic words that fall into that category, but there’s no change there.”
Caitlin Clark needs ‘to be more aware’
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White said Clark needs to play with a certain level awareness as she approaches suspension territory over technical fouls.
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“Certainly I think there are some that we could do without. There are natural things that happen that the energy of the game creates when you do get those,” White said. “But there are some that we can be a little bit more in control of. And so yes, we’ll continue to remind (Clark) and I think she has to have an awareness.”
Clark said she isn’t going to change the way she plays basketball, adding, “I’m going to play with passion and if they’re going to give me a technical foul for clapping, that’s their choice.”
Angel Reese picks up fifth technical
Angel Reese was called for her fifth technical foul of the season with 1:16 remaining in the Dream’s 94-87 win over the Toronto Tempo. The foul was upgraded to a hostile act, which the Dream plans to appeal, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko said.
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“The (officials) said it rose to that. I didn’t see it that way,” Smesko said in his postgame presser. “I’m sure we’ll be putting in an appeal for it. I think this one we have a good chance of getting reduced, but we’ll see. We’ll do our part to make sure that we put it in, we kind of explain what we see with it and hopefully the league will come to the right conclusion.”
Last season, Reese served out a one-game suspension on Sept. 5, 2025, after accruing eight technical fouls.
Caitlin Clark technical fouls this season
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Wednesday, May 13: Clark was whistled for her first technical foul of the season vs. the Los Angeles Sparks for arguing an offensive foul as the Fever were heading to the locker room for halftime. After the Fever’s 87-78 victory, Clark took responsibility for the tech and praised the officials: “The refs are doing a tremendous job. I deserved the technical they gave me. It’s great for the game, they are going to keep the hands off, they are going to make the play be good.”
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Monday, May 22: Clark and the Golden State Valkyries‘ Janelle Salaün were called for offsetting technicals after a dustup under the basket as the halftime buzzer rang. Clark appeared to swat at the ball and caught Salaun’s arm. Salaun responded with an elbow before they were both separated and rung up. Clark was also called for a Flagrant Foul 1 for setting a hard screen on Veronica Burton in the fourth.
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Thursday, June 11: In the Fever’s 114-106 overtime win over the Chicago Sky, Clark emphatically swung her arm in the air toward the referee after no foul was called on her driving layup attempt. Clark said the technical was “definitely deserved” and added to the team’s momentum. “I wanted it,” she said.
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Monday, June 22: In the Fever’s 86-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury, Clark and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner got tangled up in the paint while jockeying for position. Clark was called for a personal foul, but tensions boiled over after the whistle. Clark was called for a technical foul for clapping, while offsetting technicals were called on Sophie Cunningham and Bonner, in addition to Myisha Hines-Allen and Alyssa Thomas.
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever guard Caitlin Clark nears suspension after fifth technical foul
