Caitlin Clark picked up first technical foul, costing her more money in reported fine structure

TL;DR

Caitlin Clark received her first technical foul of the season, resulting in a financial penalty under the WNBA's new fine structure. This comes as player salaries reach an all-time high due to the league's updated collective bargaining agreement.

Key points

Caitlin Clark received her first technical foul of the season
WNBA salary cap increased to $7 million for 2026
Minimum player salary raised to $270,000 in 2026
Fine structure for players has been revised
Clark argued an offensive foul call leading to the technical foul

Caitlin ClarkWNBA

Caitlin Clark picked up first technical foul, costing her more money in reported fine structure

Under the WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement starting this season, players are now receiving salaries at an all-time high. This year, the salary cap has increased to $7 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025. Individual player salaries now start at $270,000; up significantly from the $66,079 minimum salary last year.

But, with that in mind, the league has also revisited the fine structure for the players. In a story from Front Office Sports, Colin Salao breaks down what this will look like for players in 2026.

Fever superstar Caitlin Clark was assessed her first technical foul of the season after the halftime horn sounded, arguing an offensive foul she was called for while clapping at the ref. Here's a look at what the reported fine structures are.

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WNBA technical foul fines

Technical foul 1–3: $500 fine each.
Technical foul 4–7: $1,000 fine each, plus a warning letter from the league issued after the 5th technical.
Technical foul 8+: $1,500 fine, plus a one-game suspension.

In the playoffs, the count resets: