Caitlin Clark and the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever struggled to get much going to open the 2026 WNBA Playoffs first round, taking a 0-1 series deficit after a 102-85 Game 1 loss to A’ja Wilson and the No. 3 seed Las Vegas Aces. And on Tuesday, back in Indianapolis, the Fever looked to even up the series as they faced the Aces in Game 2.
With 8:33 remaining in the second quarter and Indiana down 29-20, Clakr attempted to drive to the basket before shoving Aces guard Mai Yamamoto to clear some space for a shot. However, the officials called the former Iowa Hawkeyes star for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to Las Vegas.
Clark certainly did not like the call on the floor, waving the official off on her way to the other end of the court. And sure enough, the Fever star was hit with a technical foul, giving Wilson a free throw. She missed it.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
With her technical foul in Game 2 against Las Vegas, Clark will likely have yet another fine heading her way, this time costing her $500. In the WNBA playoffs, players are fined $500 for their first two technicals, then $1,000 and a warning letter from the league for a third. The fourth tech will not only cost a player $1,500, but a one-game suspension as well.
This differs from the regular season rules, where the WNBA fines players $500 each for techs 1-3, $1,000 for 4-7 and techs 8+ costing players $1,500 each, plus a one-game suspension for every other tech (8, 10, 12, 14…). But these are reset once the playoffs begin.
During the regular season, Clark dodged a suspension, but still picked up seven technical fouls. This costed the point guard $4,500, which will increase to $5,000 if she is fined after Game 2.
Clark and the Fever could face the Aces in Game 3 back in Las Vegas on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
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