Caitlin Clark's Approaching WNBA Suspension Draws Blunt Response From Fever Coach

WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark helped lead the Indiana Fever to a 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday. While the first-year star had another phenomenal outing in the stat sheet, she also added a technical foul to her suspension tracker.

Clark picked up a technical foul in the third quarter of the game when she smacked the base of the basket after a Storm turnover. While she was confused with the call, the rookie's argument with the referee didn't result in any change.

She picked up her fifth technical foul of the season, meaning she's two technical foul calls away from serving a one-game suspension.

Following the match, Fever head coach Christie Sides spoke with the media, sharing her thoughts on Clark flirting with a suspension this late in the season.

Sides mentioned that she needs to have a conversation with Clark since the team can't afford to lose the All-Star guard for a game. While she admires Clark's competitiveness, she knows the importance of the rookie in the lineup.

"Yeah, no. We’re gonna have a conversation (smiling)," Sides said. "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."

Despite the frustrations throughout the game for Clark, the rookie was able to lead the Fever to their second straight victory.

Clark finished the game with 23 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. While she struggled for much of the game, the rookie was able to turn up the volume in the second half of the contest.

Before receiving the technical foul, Clark scored 11 points while shooting 1-8 from three. After the technical foul, Clark scored 12 points, shooting 2-2 from beyond the arc and 5-6 from the field.

The referee's call may have lit a fire in Caitlin Clark, but Christie Sides is still worried that this could affect her availability in the future.

Related: Caitlin Clark's Response To Bizarre Technical Foul Turned Heads

Related: WNBA History Made By Caitlin Clark Against Seattle Storm