“I came close to getting suspended for our last game, and obviously, every front office tries to get your technicals taken away, and they wouldn’t take any of mine away,” Caitlin Clark said on the Bird and Taurasi Show on Sunday afternoon during the women’s national championship game. “I already told Steph two max,” she said, holding up a peace sign. For the new season, the Indiana superstar had one goal only. To decrease the number of technical fouls she picked up last season. She was just one technical away from a suspension. Naturally, everyone–including the new head coach, Stephanie White–expected things to improve on that front. But so far, it’s safe to say there hasn’t been much progress–yet!

On Saturday, Caitlin Clark and the Fever defeated Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream 81-76, securing a perfect 3-0 preseason record under new head coach Stephanie White. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year had another solid outing for Indiana. She finished with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, and seven assists. Lexie Hull added 14 points off the bench. But there was one issue for Coach White to deal with.

With 5:35 remaining in the second quarter, Clark picked up her first technical foul of 2025. It came after she argued with an official following a turnover that led to an open Bri Jones layup. Newcomer Sophie Cunningham quickly stepped in, trying to pull Clark away and diffuse the situation.

Fans were quick to notice this. Clark was seen telling the refs, “No one cares. No one cares,” after getting the technical. Things could’ve escalated even more if veteran Sophie Cunningham hadn’t stepped in. Her presence helped calm things down. Naturally, fans took to X to share their excitement over the new Fever signing. Let’s take a look at what they had to say.

Caitlin Clark fans delighted with Sophie Cunningham

Fans were quite happy to see that new signing Sophie Cunningham was on the court to quickly ease the tension. “The only flaw with Sophie’s de-escalation is, she needed to follow CC because she does double back. Other than that, great job,” one fan commented. This fan reaction shows how much people appreciate Cunningham stepping up, but also hints at Clark’s tendency to keep arguing, which makes her teammates’ quick interventions so vital. Another added, “Sophie with the de-escalation duty.”

Last season, Clark received six technical fouls during her rookie 2024 regular season. The fines weren’t cheap either. She had to pay $200 for each of the first three, then $400 for the next set. After the sixth one, it jumped to $800. But worse than the fine? A suspension. Every technical after the seventh results in the player sitting out. Clark was just one away from missing a game. So fans were quite pleased to see that Sophie rushed to the scene to calm down the nerves.

Fans couldn’t help but wonder–what exactly did Sophie say to the referee before pulling Clark away? One fan asked, “Was Sophie saying, ‘I’ll take her’?” Another fan replied, suggesting it was more of a “We are done” directed at the ref. Either way, it was clear Cunningham stepped into a role familiar to Fever fans. It was the same job Erica Wheeler took on last season.

“I hope Wheeler left her a handbook,” said one fan. Another added, “Sophie picking up where Erica left off? 😀” With technical foul totals resetting before the playoffs, Clark just needed to get through the final two games of the season without another tech and she’d be safe. But that’s never easy with Clark. She’s never afraid to speak her mind to officials. It turned the game into a 40-minute tightrope walk. One wrong move, and it could’ve all gone sideways.

Enter the de-escalation crew: Erica Wheeler and Aliyah Boston. Clark’s teammates were fully aware of the situation. In their second-to-last game of the season against the Wings, they made sure she didn’t get that dreaded seventh tech. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell were constantly on alert, turning Clark away from the refs and steering her back upcourt–again and again.