While Caitlin Clark must have wanted to be in the company of Diana Taurasi, especially in the Olympics, this time when she got there, it was frustrating for her. Clark committed a technical foul during a game against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday which tied her with Taurasi for the second most fouls this season. While most players have gotten away with techs, for Clark this has been a persistent issue throughout the season. Even in August during a game against the Seattle Storm, Clark had hit the base of the hoop in frustration and the officials awarded her with her 5th technical foul. And this time while playing against the Aces, the 22-year-old hit a stanchion while yelling “Oh my God!” with her back facing the referees, which apparently didn’t go down well with the officials.

Though Clark had apologized in August, now her attitude was different. She subtly pointed out that it was unfair to call the tech foul. “They’re never going to overturn that,” Clark stated while being disappointed that she had no chance of getting it overturned. Meanwhile, to pacify her mind, she admitted that it is “one of the rules, I guess, of the game. So, it’s in the rule book.” She ended her talk with the reporter on the sixth technical foul, reflecting “It is what it is. But really?”

This raised another important concern. Clark now has 6 technical fouls, and as per the WNBA rule, if she commits a seventh one, she will be suspended for one game. Certainly, a problem for the Fever with the playoffs approaching.

Caitlin Clark can avoid suspension with this condition

Indiana realized its dream of making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, with the first-overall pick at the helm. After the Olympics break, a rejuvenated Clark smashed record after record, while helping her team climb the playoffs ladder. Thus, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and Aliyah Boston shone in the W as Clark would create opportunities for them whenever she’d use a jump scare against her opponents, who would rush to stop her. However, many fans opine that if she gets another technical foul, then she will be suspended from one game in the playoffs as well. Fortunately, that is not the case.

The Fever rookie’s fans can breathe a sigh of relief since the technical fouls are reset at the beginning of the playoffs. Hence, if Clark commits another foul she would be suspended from one of her two remaining regular season games: home game against the Dallas Wings on Sunday and then road matchup with the Washington Mystics on Thursday. Nonetheless, Clark didn’t seem too happy with the foul.

“It’s crazy,” Clark stated of the technical foul while acknowledging that she could have kept her emotions in check. Previously too she received a technical call for hitting the padding at the base of the hoop in irritation. The rule in the league’s book is to save passionate players, like the Des Moines native, from hurting themselves. Perhaps, now she will realize her mistake and make sure not to commit another one. But that doesn’t mean she will be exempt from the fine.

Caitlin Clark will have to pay the fine despite tech renewal

Every player has to pay a certain amount for each technical foul they commit. Athletes who have only 1-3 technical fouls have to pay $200 each. If the baller gets into 4-6 techs in a regular season, they have to pay $400 each. The amount increases to $800 each for seven or more technical fouls.

Apart from the fines, the player is suspended for one game, if they collect seven technical fouls in a season. And if the player goes for more than 7 fouls, then for every second game, they are suspended again. For example for 9,11,13…. technical fouls, the player will be suspended one more time each after being asked to stay on the sidelines for the seventh technical foul.

Now that Clark has admitted to being short-tempered, she might walk on eggshells to avoid another call. But fans, as of now, can breathe a sigh of relief since the fouls are reset at the beginning of the post-season.