The Fever’s first game of the season against the Mercury was eventful. Several players were called for technical fouls during an on-court scuffle after Caitlin Clark and DeWanna Bonner got into it, and Bonner and Sophie Cunningham exchanged words as well. Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected with two technical fouls when she got into it with Alyssa Thomas shortly after the first heated moment.
The biggest problem to come out of that situation for the Fever is that Clark was one of the players called for a technical foul, her fifth of the season. Once a player reaches their eighth technical of the season, they face a one-game suspension. Clark is quickly approaching that limit, and the season isn’t even halfway over.
If she continues to rack up technical fouls like this, the Fever will have to navigate a few games without her, and the possibility of losing Clark to a suspension will now loom over the Fever ever single game from now on.
Stephanie White and Caitlin Clark had very different responses to the technical foul trouble
With a suspension looming, Stephanie White understandably wants Clark to be more careful.
“She’s got to be aware, certainly,” White said in the postgame media availability. “I think there are some that we could do without. There are natural things that happen that the energy of the game creates…but there are some that we can be a little bit more in control of, and so, yes, we’ll continue to remind her, and I think she has to have an awareness.”
Clark shared a very different point of view.
“It’s ridiculous,” Clark said after the game. “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 going to get technicals for clapping.”
She also added, “I’m going to play with emotion. I’m going to play with passion. And if they’re going to give me a technical foul for clapping, then so be it.”
It’s important to note here that Clark was still visibly upset with the call in the postgame media availability, so we probably shouldn’t read too much into how lightly she took the looming suspension. With the heat of the moment gone, her response might look very different.
The Fever can win without Clark, but they shouldn’t have to
If last season taught the Fever anything, it’s that they can overcome adversity and win without their franchise star. The supporting cast may be slightly different this season, but Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston are still very capable of carrying the Fever in Clark’s absence.
However, that doesn’t mean that they should have to for non-injury-related reasons. Clark is an emotional player, and she wouldn’t be the same star she is without that fiery competitiveness. But she also has a responsibility to her team to be available as much as possible whenever she can control it. Technical fouls are something she can control.
Indiana isn’t exactly running away with a playoff spot right now. There’s plenty of competition, and they need their stars available as much as possible.
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