Caitlin Clark earns fifth technical foul as Indiana Fever beat Phoenix Mercury
Caitlin Clark scored 24 points and received a controversial fifth technical foul of the season as the Indiana Fever rallied to beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on Monday night.
The standout guard expressed frustration after being penalised during a bad-tempered fourth quarter that featured six technicals overall.
Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected from the contest after picking up her second offence in the closing stages.
A player receives an automatic one-game suspension in the WNBA upon reaching their eighth technical foul of the campaign.
“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.”
Fever head coach Stephanie White acknowledged that her star point guard must show better emotional awareness moving forward.
“There are natural things that happen, that the energy of the game creates when you do get those, but there are some that we can be a little more in control of.”
Fever overturn disastrous opening quarter
Indiana looked destined for defeat early on after managing a dismal six points in the first period.
That low-scoring start tied the franchise record for their fewest points in any quarter since 2018.
However, the home side exploded for 35 points in the second quarter to tie the game at the half-time break.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes star drove that resurgence by dropping 15 points before the interval.
Kelsey Mitchell provided vital support with 22 points, while Monique Billings secured her first double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The victory arrested a two-game losing streak and improved Indiana’s regular-season record to 10-7.
Clark and Thomas set WNBA milestones
Despite the disciplinary drama, the dynamic playmaker continued her historic offensive production.
The 22-year-old has now recorded six consecutive games with at least 20 points and five assists, establishing a new WNBA record.
Phoenix slumped to a 5-12 record despite a strong 20-point showing from Kahleah Copper.
Veteran forward Alyssa Thomas contributed 19 points, five rebounds and nine assists for the struggling Mercury.
In doing so, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500 assists with a single franchise.