Paige Bueckers Has a Hilarious Plan to Keep Her Technical Foul Count at Zero

Paige Bueckers has figured out the secret to staying out of the WNBA referee’s bad graces. And it’s almost too simple: stop clapping.

The Dallas Wings star guard, who’s having another monster season after the team went from worst to first in the standings, currently has zero technical fouls. She intends to keep it that way. During a recent appearance on ESPN’s ‘Sports Center,’ Bueckers admitted she’s willing to change her habits if it means keeping her money in her pocket.

“To throw context in there, officiating is an extremely hard job. I wouldn’t want to be a ref,” Bueckers said. “It’s hard to officiate when, last year it got pretty physical at times. It was like WWE smackdown sometimes, so they obviously tried to set the tone at the beginning of the season, clean it up and make it a safer, cleaner game.”

Then came the punchline. “What I’ve learned is clapping is non-negotiable. I’m gonna try to stay away from clapping. No promises, but I don’t want to keep losing money.”

It’s not an empty joke. Back on May 22, Bueckers actually picked up a technical foul for clapping during a game against the Atlanta Dream. The league eventually rescinded it, resetting her count back to zero. But the message was clear: the refs are serious about cutting down on what they see as demonstrative behavior, even if it’s just a player showing a little frustration with their own hands.

Bueckers isn’t alone here. Players around the league have grumbled about the tighter whistle this season, especially after last year’s physical play that some compared to wrestling matches. The WNBA wanted a cleaner game, and they’re getting it — one tech at a time.

Meanwhile, the former UConn star is making her case for back-to-back All-Star nods. She’s averaging 19.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from three, and 82 percent from the free throw line. Those are the kind of numbers that keep the Wings in contention and make her a problem for opposing defenses every night.

So if you see Bueckers on the court with her hands at her sides after a bad call, just know it’s by design. She’s not being passive. She’s being strategic. And she’s not about to let a clap cost her another paycheck.