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Caitlin Clark Picked at Top of Dubious WNBA Category by Diana Taurasi

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated May 25, 2025 9:23 PM ET

In 2024, in 36 games, the WNBA's leader in technical fouls was legendary wing Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, with seven. Two others, Natasha Cloud and Teaira McCowan, also had seven, but played more games.

It was familiar territory for Taurasi, who was in the Top 2 in technical fouls in 2023, as well. And 2022. Heck, she only played 16 games in 2021 and was still third in the league with five techs. She has twice gotten one-game suspensions for racking up techs, in 2018 and 2016, and was suspended two games in 2013.

Taurasi is notably sharp-tongued and in her 20-year career, she was almost as celebrated for her ability to ride refs as for her all-time great scoring ability. As Taurasi famously said of her run-ins with officials: "If I got a technical, I deserved it."

This week on the "No Offseason" podcast from The Athletic, it was pointed out to Taurasi that she is now retired and will need to pass off the technical-foul crown to someone else. While Cloud was one of her picks, her other pick might raise some eyebrows.

"Two great candidates," she said. "Either my girl, Natasha Cloud, and, you know a sneaky one: I think she has—I am going to go with Caitlin. Caitlin is sharp. Caitlin is sharp, I got you Caitlin. I know. Those two are gonna compete (for the top technical spot)."

Indeed, Clark was right behind Taurasi in technical fouls in 2024, racking up six as a rookie. Clark has not yet incurred a technical foul here in 2025, though she very famously was whistled for a flagrant foul in the Fever's season opener against Angel Reese and the Sky last week.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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