WNBA Set to Fine Jonquel Jones $500 After Technical Foul Against Sophie Cunningham In Fever Win

by USports EditorsAugust 12, 2026, 2:55 pm >

The WNBA is expected to fine New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones $500 after she picked up a technical foul during the Indiana Fever’s 106-92 win over the Liberty on Tuesday night, unless the league opts to rescind the call.

With 1:10 left in the third quarter and Indiana leading 81-68, Sophie Cunningham was whistled for a personal foul after holding Jones. Officials then hit Jones with a technical foul on the ensuing play, costing New York a missed free throw from Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell. It marked the first technical of the season for Jones.

A Costly Call Under the New CBA

Under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, penalties for technical fouls have increased significantly. Players are now fined $500 for each of their first three technicals and $1,000 for their fourth through seventh, with a warning letter issued after the fifth. Beginning with a player’s eighth technical, fines jump to $1,500, and suspensions kick in for every other technical from that point on — including the eighth, 10th and 12th.

Jones isn’t the only Liberty player who has run afoul of the new rules this season; teammates Satou Sabally, Han Xu and Sabrina Ionescu have also drawn technical-foul fines, while head coach Chris DeMarco leads the team with five technicals of his own.

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Fever Roll to Second Straight Win

The technical overshadowed an otherwise solid night for Jones, who finished with a double-double of 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 10 rebounds. It wasn’t enough to slow Indiana, which improved to 21-12 and leapfrogged the Atlanta Dream in the standings. Caitlin Clark posted 22 points, four rebounds and 10 assists, while Mitchell added 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

New York fell to 20-14 and will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, while Indiana turns its attention to a Friday matchup against the Dallas Wings.