WNBA takes quick action after Caitlin Clark receives eighth tech

As ESPN's Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo joked during the broadcast, the decision is bad news for league broadcast partners including Prime Video, NBC and ION — they could still lose valuable Clark inventory if she picks up an eighth tech — but it's even worse for the Liberty.

Clark and teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who's averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game, have become the league's most dynamic backcourt and will be hard to stop. On Saturday, the duo combined for 53 points, giving them 516 points over the Fever's past 10 games, the most by two teammates in WNBA history.

Mitchell recorded her 16th consecutive 20-point game, setting the single-season WNBA record.

Clark, meanwhile, had her eighth career game with at least 25 points, 10 assists and five made threes. Only four other players (Jia Perkins, Ivory Latta, Rachel Banham, Sabrina Ionescu) in league history have recorded that stat line and none more than once.

Clark has been particularly hot over the Fever's last eight games and will look to keep up the momentum at home against New York with the suspension lifted. During the stretch, she's averaging 26.5 points per game on 49.6 percent shooting, including 43.8 percent on eight three-point attempts per game.

With no breathing room in the league standings, every game down the stretch matters in the playoff picture, making it even more important the league got Clark's technical foul reversal correct. Following Saturday's win, the Fever (20-12) hold a minuscule half-game lead over the Atlanta Dream (19-12) for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Indiana, only two games behind the Las Vegas Aces (22-10) for third, is still incredibly close to eighth place, nursing a one-game advantage over the Liberty (19-13).

Instead of being without their star third-year guard for the high-stakes game, the Fever will have both prolific backcourt scorers available during the potential shootout. New York averages 90.1 points per game, fourth-most in the league, but gives up 87.5 points per game, which ranks ninth. The discrepancy is even wider for Indiana, which leads the WNBA in scoring (95.9) but is 12th in points allowed (90.4 per game).

The Fever are going to need all the offense they can muster, and thanks to quick action from the league office, they won't enter the showdown shorthanded.