Caitlin Clark technical foul state of affairs: Why Fever star isn’t liable to lacking a playoff recreation

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever had one other irritating evening on Friday, as they misplaced an in depth one to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, 78-74. Within the course of, the No. 1 general choose set the single-season help document and obtained her sixth technical foul of the season, which places her one away from a one-game suspension. 

In the course of the primary quarter, Clark, who had simply missed a pair of free throws down on the different finish of the ground, was known as for a foul on Tiffany Hayes. She hit the basket stanchion in frustration, extra with herself than the officers, as she walked off the courtroom in the direction of the baseline. Instantly, she was whistled for a technical foul. 

The excellent news for Clark and the Fever is she isn’t liable to lacking a playoff recreation due to this case. 

Underneath the league’s present guidelines, as soon as a participant reaches seven technical fouls, they are going to be suspended for one recreation. A participant would then face a further one-game suspension for each two technicals after that. We have already seen Natasha Cloud hit the restrict and miss the Phoenix Mercury’s recreation towards the Atlanta Dream on Sept. 3. 

That threshold solely applies to the common season, nonetheless. Forward of the playoffs, the slate is cleaned. Even when Clark, or one other participant, was to obtain their seventh technical foul within the ultimate recreation of the common season, they might not be suspended for Sport 1 of the primary spherical of the playoffs, the league confirmed to CBS Sports activities on Friday. 

Nonetheless, Clark mentioned she desires to do a greater job controlling her feelings. 

“They’re by no means gonna overturn that, it is simply one of many guidelines, I assume, of the sport,” Clark mentioned. “It is within the rule e book, it’s what it’s. That is why I attempted to get my final one taken away, they simply did not take it away. It stinks as a result of I really feel like half of my technicals this 12 months — I received one to the inadvertant contact to the face within the Minnesota recreation after which two for hitting the stanchion on the basket, so it is like, one was an entire accident after which the opposite two had been just a bit frustration with myself. 

“I feel I might’ve executed a greater job holding my feelings in test, however on the similar time, like, actually? However I do not know, it’s a rule in order that they need to name it and I get it. Nevertheless it’s powerful.”

Clark’s six technicals are tied for the the second-most within the league with Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper. The Fever have two video games remaining within the common season earlier than they may head to the playoffs for the primary time since 2016.