WNBA Ref Blames Caitlin Clark's 'Disrespectful' Act For Technical Foul

On Sunday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever picked up their second win following the Olympic break after beating the Seattle Storm 92-75. The Fever avoided being swept by winning the final match of the four-game season series.

The major headline from the game was Clark breaking the WNBA rookie assist record previously held by Sacramento Monarchs star Ticha Penicheiro.

But with 7:14 left in the third quarter, Clark picked up a questionable technical foul that stole some of the spotlight.

After missing a shot, Clark slapped the padding of the basketball hoop with frustration, leading to the tech.

Following the game, Clark spoke on her technical foul and revealed that the referee who made the call accused her of being "disrespectful."

“[The ref] told me it was disrespectful to the game of basketball," Clark said. "It reminded me of the technical I got in college where I said 'damn it,' where it’s like a personal frustration…. but I think he fired me up to continue to play a lot harder. I thought we got a lot better after he did that, so I want to thank him for that.”

Clark now has five technical fouls on the season. If she receives two more, the league will suspend her for a game.

In the WNBA, if a player receives seven technicals, they get suspended. For every other technical they receive (9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, etc...), they get an additional suspension.

Not only that, but fines are dealt out for each technical foul given. For the first three of the season, players are hit with a $200 fine. For the next three, it's a $400 fine, and for the seventh or higher, it's $800 each.

With her five technical fouls, Clark has been hit with $1,400 total in fines. The two technical foul leaders in the WNBA are Phoenix Mercury stars Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud, who have six apiece. Both players picked up their sixth tech on Friday against the Fever.

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