Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark picked up her seventh technical foul of the season during Wednesday night's 123-88 home win over the Connecticut Sun, putting her one technical away from receiving an automatic one-game suspension.
Clark's seven technicals are tied for the most in the WNBA with Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese. She now has 15 in her career, the second most in a player's first three seasons in league history, behind Reese's 19, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
With the Fever leading 95-67 late in the third quarter, Clark was being defended by Sun guard Saniya Rivers when she dribbled across the top of the key and drew a reach-in foul on Olivia Nelson-Ododa with 28.8 seconds left. As Clark tossed the ball to an official, Rivers gestured toward her, and the two began exchanging words.
"She said she was locking me up, so I said, 'Scoreboard,' and the ref didn't like that," said Clark, who finished with 27 points and 11 assists in 27 minutes.
Clark and Rivers were each assessed technical fouls.
Asked how she felt about her next technical triggering a suspension, Clark said she didn't think it would "hinder" her playing style.
"I'm never going to back down," she said. "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 going to be playing with that in the back of my head."
Fever coach Stephanie White also didn't seem too concerned for Clark and scoffed at the idea of having her playing more cautiously to avoid the suspension.
"Anybody who thinks that I have a plan to be strategic about technical fouls is crazy," White said. "I mean, look, she's just got to pick and choose, right? She's got to 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 Fever improved to 17-10 with Wednesday's blowout win, good for fifth in the league standings. They begin a three-game trip at Seattle on Tuesday.
