The face of the WNBA has had enough with the league’s officiating.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul by the officials during Monday night’s game against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark received a technical foul in the aftermath of a dustup with the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner.
Caitlin gets tangled up with DB, gets a tech and asks “WHATS THE FUCK DID I DO?” Then Sophie and DB start pointing at each other MHA has her hands up, Raven in the back smiling LMFAOOOOOO LETS GET NEGATIVE pic.twitter.com/knI4oMNoMf
— correlation (@nosyone4) June 23, 2026
After the game, James Boyd of The Athletic was in the process of asking Clark a question during her press conference.
“You pick up the tech tonight, fifth of the season,” Boyd said.
“Yeah, it’s ridiculous,” Clark interjected.
“I got a technical for clapping,” Clark continued. “We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I’m going to be suspended for, if I’m going to get technicals for clapping. I asked [WNBA referee Gerda Gatling]. Gerda said that I got a technical for clapping. If any technical should be taken away, it should be that one. If it’s truly for clapping. That’s what they said they gave it to me for, was for clapping. It’s just ridiculous. I don’t understand it at all.”
#Fever star Caitlin Clark called her fifth tech of the season “ridiculous.” 8 techs = one-game suspension.
“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.”
CC called out official Gerda Gatling. pic.twitter.com/n8pMon1qqP
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 23, 2026
“So, even within that, though, how aware do you have to be of the eight technical fouls (which would result in suspension)?” Boyd asked.
“I mean, I’m going to play with emotion,” Clark said. “I’m going to play with passion. And if they’re going to give me a technical foul for clapping, so be it. That’s their choice. The league can come back and review that play, and I’d love to hear what they say of the reasoning of why I got the technical foul in that situation; why other players on their team didn’t get a technical foul in that situation. If anything, split it. Okay, fine; everybody gets a technical foul. That wasn’t how they were handed out. So, I’d love to know.
“That’s why I went to Gerda. I said, ‘Why did you give me a technical foul? She said it because I was clapping and instigating. I said, ‘Okay, then you just don’t like competitive basketball.’ And that’s just facts. That’s just reality. So, disappointing from them.”
Clark was also visibly frustrated with officials after a ruling that resulted in her fifth personal foul of the game.
Caitlin Clark picks up her 5th foul of the night. She cannot believe it.
Alyssa Thomas goes to the line. CC says ball don’t lie.#WNBAonUSA | Fever 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6PaRNOydhi
— USA Sports (@usasports) June 23, 2026
Caitlin Clark vs. the refs is going to be a major storyline for the rest of this WNBA season, and it will especially get a lot of attention if Clark receives an automatic suspension for reaching eight technical fouls.
Clark finished the night with a game-high 24 points and nine assists in an 86-77 Fever win.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.