WNBA players have shown they have no problem hitting Cailtin Clark, the league’s most popular player, early and often. However, starting in 2026, it will cost them significantly more.
In the first sign that the league understands it needs to protect its star player, the WNBA has significantly increased the fines for flagrant and technical fouls in the 2026 season.
According to Yahoo! Sports:
Last year, the regular-season technical foul fine structure started at $200, moving to $400 for 4–6 technicals, and $800 for seven or more. The official breakdown for technical foul fines in the 2026 regular season is:
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 Clark’s rookie season, she was routinely battered by opposing players.
Despite loud public outcry at the rough treatment, the league made no substantive attempt to stop the brutality. Luckily, for the league, Clark stayed healthy despite the nightly torment.
Her second year was a different story.
Clark was injured throughout her sophomore campaign, and the WNBA’s ratings and attendance numbers took a massive hit. Not all injuries, or even the most severe ones, were due to flagrant fouls. However, the hits didn’t help, and the potential for serious injury was always there.
To balance the ledger, the league also increased the fines for flopping.
The fine structure will be: $100 for the first flop, $100 for the second flop, with fines increasing by $100 for each successive violation.