Caitlin Clark’s is no stranger to acting out of frustration from time to time. That is one reason the Indiana Fever star is tied with Angel Reese for the most technical fouls in the 2026 WNBA season. On Sunday, as tensions soared in the Team USA vs. France gold medal game in the last period, Clark started the quarter with a technical foul, her first in FIBA.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Team USA had the first possession in the fourth quarter. With just six seconds in the quarter, officials called an offensive foul on her. The Fever star didn’t look happy with the call. She kept the ball to herself for a while. Seconds later, she threw the ball without looking where it was going, and it hit the referee while she walked away in another direction. As the ball rolled to the referee’s feet, Clark was assessed a technical.
The third-year WNBA star seemed confused by the call and kept asking her teammates, “For what?” The Americans were leading the game by 73-57 when Clark received the technical. But her next response was even stronger. Gabby Williams missed the technical free throw. In the next possession, the Americans forced a turnover. With 9:28 left on the game clock, she made a 3-pointer with a step-back jump shot, extending her team’s lead to 19 points.
Team USA won their fifth consecutive gold medal, and 12th overall, after beating France 97-79 in the Final. Clark finished the game with 12 points, and she was one of the five double-digit scorers on the team. She shot 4-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-3 shots from the 3-point line. The Fever star had four personal fouls, tied with Jackie Young for the most fouls on the team.
Fans had predicted France to win the game, and for most of the first half, Team USA played like the underdog. France outscored them 20-17 in the first quarter. They led by as much as 36-27 in the second quarter. However, the Americans quickly took hold of the game. They were able to hold France in the latter part of the second quarter and went into halftime with just a two-point deficit.
The US team finally showed its depth and experience. They outscored the French team by 30-12 in the third quarter, taking a 16-point lead. The French never recovered in the game. The Americans outscored them in the fourth quarter as well, beating the Europeans by 18 points.
Breanna Stewart led her team with a 20-point double -double. She had 22 points, 10 rebounds (including 5 offensive) and 4 assists. She shot 70% from the field. Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray added 18, 15 and 12 points, respectively. As a team, the Americans shot 56% from the field and 42% from the 3-point line.
From the French side, Gabby Williams started with a 16-point first half. However, she was limited to just 4 points in the second half. She shot just 38% from the field. Dominique Malonga scored a team-high 21 points, shooting 67% from the field. France shot 48% from the field and 46% from the 3-point line.