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

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.

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.