Caitlin Clark will apparently be available when the Indiana Fever face the New York Liberty after all.
The WNBA has rescinded the technical foul assessed to Clark during Indiana’s 90-86 win over the Chicago Sky on August 8, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The call initially gave Clark her eighth technical foul of the season and triggered an automatic one-game suspension that would have sidelined her Tuesday against New York.
“News: WNBA has rescinded the technical foul on Caitlin Clark, which would’ve been her eighth of the season — and an automatic one-game suspension, keeping her out of Fever-Liberty on Tuesday,” Agness reported on X.
The decision is a significant one for a Fever team fighting for playoff positioning. Indiana improved to 20-12 with the victory and entered Saturday fourth in the WNBA standings.
Clark, meanwhile, had already sounded confident after the game that the call might not survive league review.
This post will be updated.
That was fast. Kudos to the league for handling it so quickly.
Caitlin Clark Hoped WNBA Would Rescind Technical Foul
The technical came during the third quarter when Clark made contact with an official while moving along the baseline.
ABC reporter Holly Rowe said on the broadcast that officials believed Clark made “extra contact” with her forearm, according to CBS Sports. Fever coach Stephanie White was then assessed a technical of her own while arguing the decision.
Clark made clear afterward that she did not believe the contact was intentional.
“We’ll let the league decide, but it wasn’t intentional or anything,” Clark told Rowe after the game, according to the New York Post. “I’m hoping it’s getting rescinded, Holly. … I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
That prediction proved correct, according to Agness’ report.
The distinction mattered because of the WNBA’s technical-foul accumulation rules.
The league states that a player or coach who reaches eight technical fouls during the regular season is automatically suspended for one game without pay. Every two additional technicals after that bring another automatic suspension.
With Saturday’s call removed from her total, Clark avoids reaching that threshold for now.
It is not unprecedented for the league to wipe out a technical that would otherwise result in a suspension. In 2024, the WNBA rescinded Diana Taurasi’s seventh technical after league-office review, leaving her below the suspension threshold that existed under that season’s rules.
Fever Avoid Losing Caitlin Clark for Liberty Matchup
The timing could hardly be better for Indiana.
The Fever are scheduled to host the Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, August 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. It will be another important game in a crowded playoff race, and Indiana now expects to have its star point guard available rather than serving a league-mandated suspension.
Clark is averaging 21.5 points and 8.0 assists this season.
She was also coming off one of her better shooting performances of the season against Chicago. Clark scored 26 points and went 5-of-6 from 3-point range as Indiana secured its 20th victory.
The Fever have already shown how dangerous they can be against New York with Clark in the lineup. Indiana erased a 13-point deficit and defeated the Liberty 108-88 on July 18 behind Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
Saturday briefly appeared to create a much different setup for the teams’ next meeting.
Instead, one rapid league review changed it.
Clark remains one technical away from reaching the suspension threshold again, but barring another change in her status, the Fever will not have to navigate Tuesday’s game without her because of Saturday’s call.
Caitlin Clark Technical Foul Decision Changes Fever Suspension