Caitlin Clark’s Heated Moment With Brianna Turner Draws Technical Foul

Caitlin Clark is hit with a major blow in the playoffs. Early in Game 3 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the Fever point guard saw Brianna Turner moving toward Indiana's huddle and answered with her hands. She heard the whistles right after the heated moment.

Both players were hit with technical fouls after a review. For Clark, it was the second in as many games, and Indiana was playing to stay alive.

Why Caitlin Clark Got A Technical Foul Against Brianna Turner

The moment occurred Thursday in the first quarter of a win-or-go-home game in Las Vegas. The Fever had opened with a 10-2 run, and a stoppage in play gave them a chance to huddle.

Turner, a former teammate of Clark, tried to join the circle. It appears that Clark did not like it. She walked up and shoved Turner out of the huddle, again without appearing to speak. Turner threw her arms in the air and made sure everyone saw the contact. Officials went to the monitor. When they came back, both players had a technical foul.

Thursday likely marked the biggest game of Clark's career so far. Indiana had kept its season going with a strong Game 2, and a loss in Las Vegas would have ended it. Clark has been in trouble with officials many times this year, so the technique was not new to her. 

What Caitlin Clark's Technical Count Means For The Fever

Players are allowed four technical fouls in the playoffs before a mandatory one-game suspension. Clark has two. That puts her halfway there after only three games.

The first came Tuesday in Game 2, when she was called for arguing a call in the first quarter. The Fever used it as a spark. Indiana followed with an 11-4 run that tilted the game. Thursday's call arrived while the team was already rolling, so the Fever never had to find that kind of jolt.

Clark will not be fined or disciplined by the WNBA for the Thursday technical. The league resets its technical foul rules for the playoffs, so her regular-season total does not carry over. That total was seven. Kahleah Copper led the league with eight. The WNBA also rescinded one other technical that had been called on Clark during the year.

As of now, two technicals are on the board, and two more would trigger the suspension. Fever need Clark by any means to survive the intense battle with the Aces. As of writing, they are trailing by the end of the second quarter. Clark and company must come back with strength to tackle the strong Aces.