Caitlin Clark on Technical Foul: "You just don't like competitive basketball"

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark blasted the officials Monday over a "ridiculous" technical foul during her team's 86-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury . Clark now has five technical fouls in 16 games this season, tied with Angel Reese for the most in the league. Players are automatically suspended for one game when they hit eight technical fouls.

The Fever only scored three points in the first nine minutes and 58 seconds against the Mercury and were down by as much as 16, but Clark led a huge comeback in the second quarter to tie things up at the break. A big run early in the third put the Fever ahead for good, as Clark finished with 24 points and nine assists on 8 of 17 shooting in another strong outing.

Early in the fourth quarter, Clark got tangled up with former Fever forward DeWanna Bonner , who left the team under controversial circumstances last season (after being waived in June 2025, she said the "fit did not work out"). Alyssa Thomas , Bonner's partner, then got involved, as did Sophie Cunningham and Myisha Hines-Allen . There was some pushing and finger-pointing, but nothing got too out of hand. Still, the refs went to the monitor and handed out techs to Clark, Cunningham, Hines-Allen, Bonner and Thomas.

Hines-Allen picked up another technical on the ensuing possession and was ejected.

> Caitlin Clark and DeWanna Bonner going at it. pic.twitter.com/IgXTEa3OdX — Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 23, 2026

> Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner get into it next! pic.twitter.com/Ku8LNurCwr — Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 23, 2026

After the game, Clark was perplexed and called out official Gerda Gatling by name.

"I got a technical for clapping. We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I'm going to be suspended for if I'm gonna get technicals for clapping," Clark said. "I asked Gerda, and Gerda said that I got a technical for clapping. So, if any technical should be taken away, it should be that one. If it's truly for clapping, that's what they said they gave it to me for was for clapping. It's just ridiculous, so I don't understand it at all.

"I'm gonna play with emotion, I'm gonna play with passion, and if they're going to give me a technical foul for clapping, then so be it. That's their choice," Clark continued. "The league can come back and review that play, and I'd love to hear what they say of the reasoning of why I got the technical foul in that situation … I said 'Why'd you get me a technical foul?' and she said because I was clapping and instigating. I said, 'OK then, you just don't like competitive basketball,' and that's just facts, that's just reality. So, I'm disappointed in them."

> #Fever star Caitlin Clark called her fifth tech of the season “ridiculous.” 8 techs = one-game suspension. “We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I’m gonna be suspended for if I’m gonna get technicals for clapping.” CC called out official Gerda Gatling. pic.twitter.com/n8pMon1qqP — James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 23, 2026

Clark has never been suspended in her WNBA career, but she has been close to the technical foul limit before. During her rookie season, when the limit was seven technicals, she received six. There was no such issues last season when she was limited to 13 games due to an array of injuries.

Now healthy, Clark has looked like her old self other than a short slump in late May and early June. She hit the first game-winner of her WNBA career against the Washington Mystics on June 8, and has put up at least 20 points and five assists in her last six games, the longest such streak in WNBA history.

For the season, Clark is averaging a career-high 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 42.6/33.1/84.5 shooting splits. She is third in the league in scoring, second in assists and the only player in the top five in both categories.

The league will review Clark's technical from Monday's game. If it gets rescinded, she will be back down to four technicals for the season. Regardless, she will have to be careful with 27 games remaining.

"I mean, she's got to be aware, certainly," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "I think there are some that we could do without, there are natural things that happen, the energy of the game creates when you do get those, but there are some that we can be a little bit more in control. So, yes, we'll continue to remind her, and I think she has to have an awareness."

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/caitlin-clark-fever-technical-foul-mercury-dewanna-bonner/)._