Caitlin Clark Technical Foul Ruling Made by WNBA Following Fever Star's Remark After Win vs. Mercury

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark's fifth technical foul of the season will stand, leaving her three away from receiving an automatic one-game suspension.

Per The Athletic's James Boyd, the WNBA will not rescind the technical foul Clark received in the fourth quarter of the Fever's 86-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Monday.

Clark and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner got into a verbal exchange after Clark was called for a foul. Officials stepped in to calm down the situation, when Clark started clapping in the direction of Mercury players, leading to a technical foul being called.

"We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I'm gonna be suspended for if I'm gonna get technicals for clapping," Clark told reporters after the game.

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Clark said the explanation she received from the refs for why she received a tech was "instigating" the situation.

"I said, 'Why did you give me a technical foul?'" Clark asked. "She said because I was clapping and instigating. I said, 'OK, then you don't like competitive basketball.' That's just facts. That's just reality. So disappointing from them."

Fever head coach Stephanie White acknowledged her star player needs to maintain some "control" in these situations.

"There are natural things that happen, that the energy of the game creates when you do get those, but there are some that we can be a little more in control of," White said after the game. "So yes, we'll continue to remind her, and I think she has to have an awareness."

Clark's five technical fouls are now tied with Angel Reese for most in the league this season. She tied for the third-most technicals during her rookie campaign in 2024.

WNBA rules stipulate a player receives an automatic one-game suspension if they accrue eight technical fouls during the season. Every two technical fouls are that also triggers a one-game suspension.

The league also changed the fine amounts for technical fouls this season. Players receive a $500 fine for each of their first three techs, then $1,000 for each one between four to seven and a $1,500 fine plus a one-game suspension for the eighth.

The count resets for the postseason, but it only takes four technical fouls to trigger an automatic one-game suspension.

Despite the technical foul in the fourth quarter, Clark played one of her best games of the season against the Mercury. She put up 24 points and nine assists to help the Fever overcome a 16-point deficit for their fifth win in the last seven games.