Caitlin Clark technical fouls: Would suspension carry over to WNBA Playoffs?
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark picked up her sixth technical foul of the season on Friday against the Las Vegas Aces. With only two games remaining, Clark is hoping to avoid a one-game suspension that players receive after recording seven technical fouls in a season. However, does a technical foul suspension carry into the postseason?
The Fever already clinched a playoff spot. Clark is on track to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. The Fever rookie has been phenomenal throughout the '24 campaign. Losing her for any amount of time would be far from ideal, but if Clark has to miss another regular season game it wouldn't be the end of the world. But missing a postseason contest would prove to be a major blow for the Fever.
Fortunately, the technical foul number resets once the postseason begins, per Chloe Peterson of The Indianapolis Star. She has endured trouble in the technical foul department in her rookie campaign, but it does not project to impact her postseason availability.
2024 WNBA technical foul leaders
Only two players have reached the seven technical foul mark as of this story's writing. Those players, Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud, happen to both play for the Pheonix Mercury. Another Mercury player, Kahleah Copper, and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale are tied with Clark at six.
This isn't a statistic you necessarily want to lead. However, some of the best players in the WNBA are at or near the top of this list. Playing with a competitive spirit can be a great thing, but picking up too many technical fouls can hurt your team in the long run.
Caitlin Clark's playoff outlook
Clark plays with tenacity. She is extremely competitive. Sometimes, she can take things a bit too far which leads to the technical fouls. But the Fever don't want her to lose that edge, though, they would obviously prefer to see less technicals on the floor.
Indiana has exceeded expectations during the 2024 season. They look like a potential serious contender. Are they ready to win a championship this year? The chances of that coming to fruition still seem rather unlikely, but anything can happen. The idea of completely counting Caitlin Clark out is a risky one to say the least.
Regardless of what happens in the postseason, every game that Clark and the Fever play in will be must-watch contests.