The Indiana Fever’s two games against the Phoenix Mercury this week turned into one of the league’s biggest officiating flashpoints of the season. Indiana beat Phoenix 86-77 on Monday in a game that featured repeated fourth-quarter confrontations, six technical fouls and the ejection of Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb after she argued from the bench.
Caitlin Clark was assessed one of those technicals after a late dust-up involving DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Sophie Cunningham and Myisha Hines-Allen. The Fever then lost the rematch 111-109 on Wednesday in another game dominated by controversy, with Clark taking multiple hard hits before leaving in the third quarter with a back injury.
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Clark’s technical from Monday quickly became a story of its own. She said afterward that she was penalized for “clapping and instigating,” and Indiana formally appealed the call after the game (h/t James Boyd of The Athletic).
On Thursday, the league made its decision. Per IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson, the WNBA declined to rescind Clark’s technical from Monday, meaning she remains at five technical fouls this season. That also means a $1,000 fine and leaves her three technicals away from the league’s automatic one-game suspension mark, which kicks in at eight.
The WNBA also handed down discipline from Wednesday’s rematch. The league upgraded Alyssa Thomas’ second-quarter contact on Clark to a Flagrant 2 after determining Thomas made fist-to-throat contact. Thomas was suspended one game and will serve it Saturday when Phoenix faces the Toronto Tempo.
Clark’s night ended a few minutes later after a separate play. She appeared to aggravate her back on a second-quarter three-point attempt when she landed awkwardly after contact, then exited for good with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Indiana later ruled her out with a back injury and her status for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks remains uncertain.
