Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever had another frustrating night on Friday, as they lost a close one to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, 78-74. In the process, the No. 1 overall pick set the single-season assist record and received her sixth technical foul of the season, which puts her one away from a one-game suspension.
In the middle of the first quarter, Clark, who had just missed a pair of free throws down at the other end of the floor, was called for a foul on Tiffany Hayes. She hit the basket stanchion in frustration, more with herself than the officials, as she walked off the court towards the baseline. Immediately, she was whistled for a technical foul.
The good news for Clark and the Fever is she is not at risk of missing a playoff game because of this situation.
Under the league's current rules, once a player reaches seven technical fouls, they will be suspended for one game. A player would then face an additional one-game suspension for every two technicals after that. We've already seen Natasha Cloud hit the limit and miss the Phoenix Mercury's game against the Atlanta Dream on Sept. 3.
That threshold only applies to the regular season, however. Ahead of the playoffs, the slate is wiped clean. Even if Clark, or another player, was to receive their seventh technical foul in the final game of the regular season, they would not be suspended for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, the league confirmed to CBS Sports on Friday.
Still, Clark said she wants to do a better job controlling her emotions.
"They're never gonna overturn that, it's just one of the rules, I guess, of the game," Clark said. "It's in the rule book, it is what it is. That's why I tried to get my last one taken away, they just didn't take it away. It stinks because I feel like half of my technicals this year -- I got one to the inadvertant contact to the face in the Minnesota game and then two for hitting the stanchion on the basket, so it's like, one was a complete accident and then the other two were just a little frustration with myself.
"I think I could've done a better job keeping my emotions in check, but at the same time, like, really? But I don't know, it is a rule so they have to call it and I get it. But it's tough."
Clark's six technicals are tied for the the second-most in the league with Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper. The Fever have two games remaining in the regular season before they will head to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.