The WNBA will not rescind the technical foul given to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during Monday’s 86-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, the league confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday.
Clark received the technical foul in the fourth quarter following an altercation with former teammate and Phoenix forward DeWanna Bonner. After Clark fouled Bonner, the two exchanged words on the court.
As officials attempted to defuse the situation, Clark began clapping toward the Phoenix players. Referees ruled the action was “instigating,” a decision Clark later confirmed to reporters.
The ruling surprised both Clark and Fever fans, who quickly pointed out a similar incident involving Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, who previously had a technical foul rescinded after clapping at game officials.
Disgruntled fans took to social media to vent their frustrations following the report.
Here is a look at some of their reactions:
Indiana fans have long scrutinized the WNBA’s disciplinary system and its treatment of Caitlin Clark since her rookie year, and frustration has reached a boiling point with this latest decision.
Clark said she hopes the WNBA reviews the play so she can receive a better explanation of the ruling.
“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 said after the game. “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.”
Clark now has five technical fouls this season and faces an automatic one game suspension if she picks up three more.
What Made Caitlin Clark’s Clapping Foul Different From Paige Bueckers’?
Many fans are wondering why Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers had her clapping technical foul taken back while Caitlin Clark did not.
Looking at the two plays, the difference seems to come down to what the clapping was directed at Bueckers received her penalty in May during Dallas’s loss to the Atlanta Dream.
On that play, she clapped right after drawing a foul to celebrate a scoring run by her team. The league wiped away the foul because it looked like she was just showing excitement and joy for the game.
Clark’s foul happened under very different circumstances during a tense fourth-quarter argument with Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner. Because the two teams were already facing off, referees ruled that Clark was clapping directly at the Phoenix players to mock or “instigate” them.
While fans are still hoping the league steps in with a clearer statement, the different reactions from the referees on the floor explain why one foul stayed and the other was removed.
Read More:
Sophie Cunningham Adds Fuel To DeWanna Bonner Drama With Cheeky Dig After Viral Confrontation
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