Caitlin Clark Acknowledges Need to Adjust Behavior Amid Growing Technical Foul Concerns

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever fell to the Minnesota Lynx in a primetime WNBA matchup on Friday, September 6. Despite a 25-point, eight-assist, eight-rebound performance from the rookie sensation, the Fever came up short with an 88-99 final score on their home court in Indianapolis.

The Fever got off to a hot start, taking a five-point lead into the halftime break. But in the third quarter, frustrations started to build for the Indiana squad.

Clark's frustrations were on full display as the Fever were only able to muster 12 points in the third period. The All-Star point guard was visibly upset with multiple calls from the officiating team, letting the referees hear her complaints on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse court.

Clark's on-court behavior sparked concerns about a possible technical foul looming. She already has five techs in her debut season, and a seventh would trigger an automatic one-game suspension.

After the game, Clark admitted that she needs to do a better job of controlling her emotions.

"I thought I got fouled a couple times there in the second half on mid-range jump shots," Clark said in her postgame press conference. "It happens. Sometimes they get calls, sometimes they don't. It is what it is. I think I settled a little bit too much for mid-range jump shots, but I thought I got bumped a little bit and I was honestly trying to shot-fake them to get them to foul me.

"I mean, I think I could have done a little bit better of a job controlling my own emotions."

Fever head coach Christie Sides said she pulled Clark out of the game in the third quarter because she was concerned about her picking up another technical foul.

"I was worried she was going to pick up a T in that third quarter, and thank goodness that she didn't," Sides said, via the IndyStar. "But that's growth, and she's got to learn that in those moments. I need my point guard to have a cool head, get us in whatever we need to be in offensively."

Clark is averaging 19.0 points, 8.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game at this point in her rookie campaign. Before Friday night's loss to the Lynx, she'd recorded three consecutive games with at least 20 points and 10 assists. She recorded her second career WNBA triple-double in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.

Clark and the Fever will face off against the Atlanta Dream in a matchup at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Related: Caitlin Clark's Behavior Sparks Technical Foul Concern From WNBA Fans