Caitlin Clark moves within one technical of WNBA suspension
The Fever guard picked up her seventh technical in a win over Connecticut, tying Angel Reese for the league lead this season.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Caitlin Clark is now one whistle away from an automatic one-game ban after picking up her seventh technical foul of the WNBA season during Indiana’s 123-88 rout of Connecticut on Wednesday night.
The Fever guard was hit with the technical late in the third quarter, according to ESPN, after a brief exchange with Sun guard Saniya Rivers. Clark and Rivers were both assessed technicals on the play.
The moment came with Indiana up 95-67 and 28.8 seconds left in the third. ESPN reported that Clark was dribbling near the top of the key while Rivers defended her, then drew a reach-in foul on Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Rivers gestured toward Clark, the two players traded words, and officials called double technical fouls.
Clark said afterward that Rivers had told her she was “locking me up,” according to ESPN. Clark said she responded, “Scoreboard,” and added that the referee “didn’t like that.”
The technical put Clark level with Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese for the most in the WNBA this season, ESPN reported. Clark now has 15 technical fouls in her career, which Elias Sports Bureau said is the second-highest total by a player through her first three seasons in league history. Reese has the most in that span with 19, according to Elias.
Clark still had a big night before the bench got involved. She finished with 27 points and 11 assists in 27 minutes as the Fever cruised past the Sun.
Clark says she will not change her edge
Asked about being one technical away from a suspension, Clark told ESPN she does not expect the situation to “hinder” the way she plays.
“I'm never gonna back down,” Clark said, according to ESPN. “I think just continue to try to control your emotions the best you can. That intensity and that fire is what makes me me, but also knowing my team needs me and finding a good balance of that. But I don't think I'm gonna be playing with that in the back of my head.”
Fever coach Stephanie White also brushed off the idea that Indiana would try to manage Clark’s technical count with a plan.
“Anybody who thinks that I have a plan to be strategic about technical fouls is crazy,” White said, according to ESPN. “I mean, look, she's just gotta pick and choose, right? She's gotta pick and choose, and it's every two after that. So I think the biggest thing is she knows, she has awareness about it. We'll try to help her when we can, but sometimes we can't. And if she wants to be strategic about which game she doesn't want to play, then she'll let her fly.”
The win moved Indiana to 17-10, fifth in the WNBA standings, according to ESPN. The Fever next open a three-game road trip Tuesday in Seattle.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.