Late in the third quarter of Wednesday’s contest, tempers flared between Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers. Although the Fever were comfortably ahead 95-67, the two got into a heated exchange.
Clark and Rivers received technical fouls, which pushed the three-time All-Star’s season-long tally to seven, one away from an automatic suspension.
After the Fever’s 123-88 home victory, Clark told the media what she said to her opponent that prompted the referee to give her a technical foul.
Caitlin Clark Reveals the Word That Triggered Her 7th Technical Foul
Clark put on a dazzling show against the Sun, posting a game-high 27 points, 2 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. She now has 10 career outings with at least 25 points and 10 assists, a WNBA record.
The point guard’s impressive display was the biggest reason the Fever secured a blowout win. Despite the lopsided score, Indiana’s best player and her primary defender ended up in a testy confrontation.
In her postgame interview, Clark recounted how she received her latest technical foul.
“She said she was locking me up, so I said, ‘Scoreboard,’ and the ref didn’t like that,” Clark said.
#Fever star Caitlin Clark on her seventh tech: “She said she was locking me up, so I said, ‘Scoreboard,’ and the ref didn’t like that.”
“That fire is what makes me, me.” Adds that she must find a “good balance.”
Is a suspension inevitable?
“You gotta ask the magic 8 ball.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/kErmhyXIk7
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 23, 2026
In the play leading to the incident, Rivers attempted to steal the ball from Clark, who managed to move past her defender. The Fever superstar then bumped into Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who was called for a foul.
Caitlin Clark to Saniya Rivers:
“Check the scoreboard.”
(h/t @Sudharsan_ak) pic.twitter.com/xI918QnW06
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 23, 2026
Rivers approached the referee, seemingly gesturing that Clark flopped, a move that sparked the confrontation.
When asked about the potential impact of her seventh technical foul, Clark stood her ground.
“I’m never gonna back down. … Try to control your emotions as much as you can, but that fire is what makes me, me. … I have to find good balance with that,” Clark said. “I don’t think I’m gonna be playing with that at the back of my head.”
The WNBA will have its annual All-Star celebration this weekend, giving every team a chance to cool down and regroup. Indiana doesn’t play again until July 28, when it visits the Seattle Storm. The Fever have 17 games remaining, leaving Clark in clear danger of picking up a suspension.
MORE: Caitlin Clark Rewrites WNBA History As Fever Star Features On NBA 2K27 Cover
The Fever hope to obtain a top-four seed to gain home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After their win against the Sun, they improved to 17-10, a game behind the league’s fourth-ranked Dallas Wings (18-9).
The Atlanta Dream (16-10), New York Liberty (15-12), and Washington Mystics (14-12) are all capable of streaking past Indiana. While the Fever don’t want to lose Clark for even one game, she is intent on playing without dwelling on the potential suspension looming over her head.
