Technical troubles continue to mount for Caitlin Clark as she blames WNBA referees

With WNBA regular season coming to a close, Caitlin Clark finds herself in hot water once more.

The Indiana Fever star picked up her sixth technical foul of the season in a mid-September game against the Dallas Wings.

WNBA rules state that a player is automatically suspended for a game if they accrue seven technical fouls in the regular season. However, as Fox News and Sports Illustrated write, the slate is wiped clean for the playoffs. There is speculation though that Clark would be forced to serve a suspension next season if she gets her seventh technical.

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Although Clark has conceded that she needs to do a better job for keeping her composure, she's also at a loss for words regarding the official's decisions to "T" her up. She told Fox News, "And it stinks because half of my technicals this year, I got one for that inadvertent contact to the face against Minnesota and then two for hitting the stanchion of the basket.

Clark continued, "One was a complete accident, and two were just a little frustration with myself. So I think I could have done a better job of keeping my emotions in check, but at the same time, like, really?"

This trend has become a big deal, since Clark is the WNBA's headline attraction this season.

She has been nothing short of sensational as an offensive force as a rookie, but her emotions have gotten the best of her at times. All upcoming statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Her approach has her on the brink of WNBA discipline at some point in the future.

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There’s no question how passionate Caitlin Clark is about basketball, which is part of why she's such a popular draw.

During the Indiana Fever’s victory over the Seattle Storm on August 18, Clark punched the stanchion behind the basket with a solid amount of force. She was assessed a technical foul, which was the fifth of the season for her.

According to Yahoo Sports, Clark said that the referee said she was being "disrespectful towards the game of basketball."

"It reminded me of the technical I got in college where I said ‘darn it.’ It’s like a personal frustration, had nothing to do with my team, had nothing to do with the reffing, had nothing to do with the other team. It was just because I’m a competitor and I felt like I should’ve been making more shots," she told Yahoo Sports.

If Clark was forced to miss any regular season or postseason games, it would be a huge blow for the Fever.

After the unfortunate technical against the Storm, Clark told Marca, "I think (the official) fired me up to play harder. We got better after that. So, in a weird way, I want to thank him."

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Despite the unfortunate turn of events for Clark that puts her close to a suspension, her poise has seemed to improve as the WNBA season has unfolded. The Indianapolis Star noted that Clark picked up three technicals within the first two weeks of the WNBA, but only three since.

Coach Christie Sides knows how important Clark is to her team’s fortunes. After she picked up her fifth technical, Sides told the Indianapolis Star, "Yeah, we’re going to have a conversation. I don’t need Caitlin to sit out a game… She’s just a fiery competitor. I mean, I don’t want to take that away from her. That’s the difference in who she is."

Technical fouls are also affecting Clark’s bank account. As the Indianapolis Star notes, WNBA players are fined $200 each for their first three technical fouls, $400 each for their fourth through sixth techs, and $800 each for every technical thereafter.

The fire that fuels Clark has been a theme of her career, dating back to her days at the University of Iowa. While still in college, she told USA Today, "It’s being able to channel that and use it in the best way. There’s always young girls with eyeballs on you, so you always want to be on your best behavior, but also play with that competitive fire and passion you always had…"

Caitlin Clark has affected the game in multiple ways—as a scorer, facilitator and dynamite shooter from the free throw line. She’s averaging over 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds per game.

In the same game she picked up her fifth technical foul, Clark set the WNBA rookie single-season record for assists, breaking Ticha Penicheiro’s record that was set back in 1998.

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Clark’s motivation to remain cool and collected is quite high considering Indiana’s playoff dreams. WNBA legend Sue Bird said on the A Touch More podcast, "She’s definitely getting used to it (the league) which is, you know, trouble for everybody else. That’s why I (wouldn’t) want to see her (in the playoffs)."