Caitlin Clark is staring down a $1,000 fine from the WNBA after snagging her sixth technical foul of the season, a seriously wild turn of events just one day after she torched our Seattle Storm for a career-high 45 points. You gotta wonder what’s going on!
That Sixth Tech Came Outta Nowhere, Right?
This isn’t some late-game frustration tech, folks. Clark picked up this one less than two minutes into Saturday’s game against the New York Liberty. Picture this: she’s hustling on defense, tailing Marine Johannes, and makes hard contact with Liberty center Jonquel Jones on a screen. Johannes drains a deep three, and Clark, naturally, is yelling at the official about a no-call. But here’s the kicker: the CBS broadcast, the one covering the game, called it a legal screen. They said Jones had already established her position. That means Clark’s sixth tech, the one that’s gonna cost her a grand, was for complaining about a legitimate play. That’s a tough look, especially when you’re already stacking up those fouls this early in the season.
Fouls Are Piling Up, And It’s Not Just About the Money
Yeah, a $1,000 fine stings for most, but with the raise she pulled in from the league’s new CBA, it’s probably not hitting Clark’s wallet as hard as it would have before. Still, it’s not just about the cash. She’s now tied with Phoenix Mercury star Kahleah Copper for the second-most techs in the entire WNBA. Think about that. Only Angel Reese has more, with seven. And get this: no other player in the league has more than four. That puts Clark in some pretty exclusive, and not-so-great, company. If she picks up one more tech, that’s another grand. But if she hits eight, that’s an automatic one-game WNBA suspension and a $1,500 fine. Missing a game, even early in the season, is a serious deal for any team, let alone a rookie trying to establish herself.
Can Clark Keep Her Cool After Dropping 45 On Our Storm?
The real wild part? This tech dropped just one day after her absolute best game ever. She didn’t just put up 45 points in the win over our Seattle Storm, which was a career high. She also became the first player in WNBA history to rack up at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a single game. That’s a historic stat line, Emerald City! To go from making history one night to picking up a highly questionable technical foul for complaining the very next night? Talk about a rollercoaster. You gotta wonder if this pattern of frustration techs, especially early in games, is going to impact her play, or worse, her availability. She’s gotta find a way to channel that competitive fire without racking up those techs. The WNBA is watching, and so are we.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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