Caitlin Clark can break more records and commit a technical foul without a suspension in regular-season finale

Caitlin Clark has one more game to leave her mark on history and maybe even one of her opponents.

In the Indiana Fever’s last regular-season game against the Washington Mystics Thursday, Clark can break three more records.

With four more 3-pointers, she will tie the single-season franchise record set by Tamika Catchings in 2006. With five more, she’ll own the record.

It will take just one 3-pointer, or a pair of 2-point shots, for Clark to break the franchise’s single-season scoring record. With 761 points this year, she is two shy of teammate Kelsey Mitchell’s single-season record of 763 set last season.

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket against Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun (1) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.  (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

It would take a huge night shooting, but Clark is even within striking distance of the WNBA’s single-season 3-point record. With 120, Clark would need eight more to surpass Diana Taurasi and tie Sabrina Ionescu’s single-season record of 128.

Clark will also have the benefit of playing a bit more loosely compared to her last few games.

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Clark narrowly avoided a suspension for too many technical fouls in her rookie season. With six on the year, Clark was just one technical away from earning a one-game suspension, according to WNBA rules. But with just one game left, she is now at no risk of a suspension because her technical foul counter resets after the game, and she wouldn’t face a suspension in the playoffs.

Clark was dangerously close to a suspension after she picked up her sixth technical of the year against the Las Vegas Aces. In the opening minutes of a loss, she knocked Las Vegas guard Tiffany Hayes to the hardwood while defending, but a technical foul wasn’t called until she slammed her hands on one of the basket supports.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) in the second half of a game in Indianapolis Sept. 6, 2024.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The stress of having that sixth technical haunted an otherwise historic night. Clark broke the WNBA’s single-season assist record later in the game. Still, Clark criticized the referees for calling the foul on her record-breaking night in a postgame press conference.

“It stinks because I feel like half of my technicals this year, I got one for that inadvertent contact to the face in the Minnesota game and then two for hitting the stanchion of the basket,” Clark said. “One was a complete accident, and then the other two were just a little frustration with myself. So, I think I could have done a better job keeping my emotions in check, but at the same time, like, … really?”

Clark then came dangerously close to getting that seventh technical foul called on her in the Fever’s 110-109 win to the Dallas Wings Sunday. During the game, Clark was walking up the floor after a turnover. She looked up at the replay and immediately started to mouth off to the referee. Kelsey Mitchell put her arm out to prevent Clark from heading over to the ref, while Aliyah Boston pulled Clark away and yelled, “No,” in her face to keep her from getting the technical foul.

Her teammates’ intervention prevailed, and Clark got through the game without being assessed a technical.

Caitlin Clark drives to the basket against Chicago Sky guard Lindsay Allen during the first half at Wintrust Arena. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA Today Sports)

After the game, Clark boasted about avoiding the suspension.

“Well, I didn’t think they were going to give me a technical at any point tonight. I would have been really sad for people in Washington D.C.,” Clark said of her team’s next game. “I didn’t want to do that. I tried my best, but my teammates do a really good job of that.”

Clark is in the clear to commit a technical foul in tonight’s game without risk of suspension.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

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