WNBA to Punish Caitlin Clark After Indiana Fever Game
There was no shortage of action in Friday's game between the Indiana Fever and the Golden State Valkyries. Caitlin Clark found herself in the middle of a heated altercation right before halftime.
Clark got into it with Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun after a rebound play. Salaun secured the board and did not appreciate Clark swiping at the ball. Salaun appeared to extend her elbow in Clark's direction, which the Fever star took exception to.
Clark got in Salaun's face, and the Valkyries forward refused to back down. This led to a heated moment between the two, prompting teammates to separate them as they all headed to the locker rooms for the halftime break.
LETS GET NEGATIVE pic.twitter.com/7XiDg7lzOt
— Shabazz (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 23, 2026
Both Clark and Salaun were hit with technical fouls for the altercation.
Both players will now be punished by the WNBA for their actions. Per league rules, a player will receive a $500 fine for each of her first to third technical fouls of the season. This is Clark's second of the year, which means that she will need to shell out $500.
Clark will need to be careful because the fines will increase through accumulation. Technical fouls four through seven will result in a $1,000 fine each. An eighth tech will be fined $1,500, and the player will be automatically suspended for one game.
For now, Clark's only punishment is the $500 fine. However, she will need to watch her behavior on the court moving forward. At this point, she already has two technical fouls in five games played.
The Fever secured their third straight win after taking down the Valkyries, 90-82. Clark led the way with 22 points, two rebounds, nine assists, a steal, one block and four three-pointers in 32 minutes.
Indiana has improved to 4-2. They will return to action on Thursday for a rematch against Golden State on the road.
Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Defiant After WNBA's Caitlin Clark Warning
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 7:02 PM.