The WNBA news cycle always seems to churn a little faster when Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are playing.
In the Fever’s 90–86 victory over the Sky on Saturday, Clark finished with 26 points and 11 assists, logging her ninth double-double this season. She also made some cool history alongside backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell, who put up 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting. It marked the eighth game this year in which Clark and Mitchell have both finished with 25-plus points apiece, good for the second-most 25-plus point games by a duo in WNBA history.
But as is the case with several Fever tilts in recent history, the team’s feats felt overshadowed by some extracurriculars in the tense win. The game started off with sizzling fireworks as the Sky’s DiJonai Carrington got ejected for a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham in the first quarter. Then, late in the third quarter, Clark picked up her eighth technical foul of the season—which automatically triggers a one-game suspension under the WNBA’s penalty rules.
However, the league quickly acted and rescinded the tech, according to multiple reports, meaning Clark will be available when the Fever play the Liberty next Tuesday. The decision was, at least in part, because the initial call was rather suspect.
On a Fever possession, Clark drove to the basket and then at the baseline passed the ball to her teammate Myisha Hines-Allen just before stepping out of bounds. After the pass, Clark was a bit off balance and her momentum sent her into a nearby ref, whom she bumped into and made what appeared to be incidental contact.
The ref didn’t see it that way, though. She blew her whistle and T’d up Clark for what she viewed was illegal contact, leading the Fever superstar to try to plead her innocence.
Watch that seemingly soft technical foul call below:
Caitlin Clark received a technical foul on this play for making extra contact with an official.
— ESPN (@espn) August 8, 2026
As a result, she will be suspended in the Fever's next game. pic.twitter.com/woylSmLu2i
After the Fever’s win, Clark spoke briefly about what happened between her and the ref:
“She said I ran into her, I’ve already watched it on the tape,” Clark told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “So we’ll let the league decide, but it wasn’t intentional or anything. I hope that it’s getting rescinded.”
“Holly, I’ll see you in the New York game on Tuesday,” Clark cheekily added.
Clark also clarified that she didn’t say anything to the ref in the moment that might have warranted the tech.
Caitlin Clark’s eighth technical foul has been rescinded by the WNBA
Every technical and flagrant foul is reviewed by the WNBA league office, and there could be additional action taken following the Fever-Sky result. Clark’s technical foul trouble has turned into an unwanted storyline for the Fever this year, with the third-year guard picking up her seventh tech last month for taunting a Sun player. The league office reviewed it and ultimately upheld the call on the court.
The opposite occurred Saturday, with the league quickly stepping in to rescind Clark’s latest foul, which was initially called because the official involved thought that the Fever guard intentionally bumped into her during the play.
The Pool Report following the Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky game - August 8, 2026 pic.twitter.com/Kp6zrXrq6e
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) August 8, 2026
Prior to Saturday, five technical fouls have been rescinded by the WNBA this season, according to Across the Timeline. Those fouls were initially assessed to Dream guard Allisha Gray, Wings coach Jose Fernandez, Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün and Wings guard Paige Bueckers.
In the case of Bueckers, the Wings star was T’d up for aggressively clapping after the whistle blew on one of her drives to the basket in a Dallas-Atlanta game. The technical foul was rescinded roughly two days later.
MORE WNBA ON SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
- Sophie Cunningham's Enforcer Role Gets Reversed Onto Her With Hard Foul in Fever-Sky
- Peter’s Points: WNBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Fever vs. Sky, Olivia Miles, Storm vs. Fire)
- Napheesa Collier Has One Thing on Her Mind Since Returning to the Lynx
- Caitlin Clark Completely Fell Apart at the Worst Time for the Fever
