Paige Bueckers Avoids WNBA Punishment After Wings-Dream Incident
The Dallas Wings lost to the Atlanta Dream on Friday, 86-69. Making matters worse, star guard Paige Bueckers received a shocking technical foul in the contest ... for clapping.
Bueckers, who finished with seven points, seven assists and two steals in the loss, was hit with the technical foul in the third quarter. It came after she clapped hard following a foul from Indya Nivar.
Several fans and viewers questioned the call, especially since it looked like a simple celebration that other athletes often do.
Fortunately for Bueckers, the WNBA decided to rescind the technical foul call, according to Annie Costabile of The Athletic.
"The tech Paige Bueckers was assessed in the third quarter of the Wings game against the Dream on Friday will be rescinded, multiple sources tell me," Costabile reported.
With the decision, Bueckers also avoided paying a $500 fine. The WNBA rules state that a player pays a $500 fine for each of their first three technical fouls. The fourth to seventh technical fouls carry a $1,000 fine each, while any technical foul beyond that will cost $1,500 apiece.
It was supposed to be Bueckers' first technical foul of the season, so she's now back to zero.
Did Paige Bueckers deserve to get this technical foul for clapping
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) May 23, 2026
Via @showcaseshabazz on X pic.twitter.com/inxWtTE7v5
Bueckers was also happy to see her technical foul rescinded. More than the foul count and the fine that comes with it, the Wings star apparently has a "bet" with Wings teammate Alysha Clark that she wouldn't get a tech this 2026 season.
"I'm glad to get that one back," Bueckers said, per Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press.
Related: Kamilla Cardoso Set for WNBA Punishment After Chicago Sky Game
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 8:57 PM.