With DeWanna Bonner returning to Indiana, the matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and the Fever was bound to be intense. After a powerful comeback led by Caitlin Clark’s 15-points in the second quarter, however, things got too heated in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. And amid five technical fouls on a single play, the point guard surprisingly found herself being assessed one too. What came next was expected…

“What the f— did i do?,” Clark said from the sidelines.

The whole saga began with eight minutes to the final buzzer. With the Mercury trailing 54-73, Natasha Mack made a defensive rebound. But before she could continue the play, Clark and DeWanna Bonner were battling on the other side of the court. The two had their arms tangled up, and the veteran shrugged off aggressively to free herself. Right then, the point guard received a personal foul.

Things escalated to the point that the referees assessed four technical fouls: the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas got a pair, and the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and Myisha Hines-Allen received a double-technical as well. But as Clark was waiting for the game on the sideline, she realized she had also been handed a technical foul, to make a total of five in that one play. Perplexed by it all, all she could do was ask the referees just why. And well, she must have known the reason, too.

It wasn’t locking up her arms with Bonner that got the point guard the technical foul, but how she reacted after that. As Hines-Allen and Thomas took verbal jabs at each other, Clark clapped her hands to hype up her new teammate. When Cunningham and Bonner were going at each other, Clark raised her hands to get the entire Indiana crowd to cheer louder. When Hines-Allen came to the sideline, the point guard shook her hands.

You see, Clark did not get this type of support in her rookie season with the Fever. But even now, as she saw her teammates standing up for her in a rather physical game, she couldn’t help but celebrate. And that’s exactly what got her into trouble. However, she didn’t like the call at all.

“I got a technical for clapping,” Clark said in her postgame presser. “We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I’m gonna be suspended for if I’m gonna get technicals for clapping.

“I asked her (official Gerda Gatling) about it, and she said I got technical for clapping. It’s just ridiculous. I don’t even get it.”

It was Clark’s fifth technical of the season, and the league gives a one-game suspension when it gets to seven. Considering she is not even halfway into the season, and is turning out to have the very expected growth in her third season, the team would need her if they want to make the postseason. Even a one-game suspension could make it worse.

Even then, things continued to get chippy as Hines-Allen fouled and had some words with Thomas seconds later. She was ejected because of her second technical. It was frustrating for the Indiana Fever as several calls went against them throughout the game, particularly for Caitlin Clark. 

Later in the fourth quarter, Clark hit a step-back jumper but was called for traveling even when it did not immediately appear to be so. Clark looked incredibly frustrated with the referees.

“She might have a case on that one,” the announcer said on air.

On the other end of the court, Thomas was called for an offensive foul for elbowing Clark. But, upon review, the referees overturned the decision and instead gave Clark the foul.

“The illegal contact is initiated by Caitlin Clark,” the referee said. “She comes across the arm into the body and the hips of Thomas. The result of the play will be two free throws because of the defensive foul.”

The Fever continues to be the highest fouling team in the WNBA. In this game, they committed 25 fouls and now average 24 per game this season.

Eventually, through all the noise, the Indiana Fever closed out the 77-86 win after a league-worst since 2018 six-point first quarter. Clark ended the night with five personal fouls and her fifth technical, but also 24 points and nine assists. The two teams would want to keep the sparks alive as they face each other within 48 hours.