Caitlin Clark’s biggest opponent right now is the WNBA rulebook.
According to The Sporting News, the Indiana Fever star picked up her sixth technical foul of the season just 91 seconds into the team’s 108-88 win over the New York Liberty, putting her only two technicals away from an automatic one-game suspension. With Indiana battling for playoff positioning, head coach Stephanie White says it’s time for a conversation.
Clark was whistled after arguing with an official following a hard screen by New York center Jonquel Jones that she believed should have been called illegal. Instead of getting the whistle she wanted, Clark received another technical—bringing her total to six for the season.
After the game, White acknowledged the situation has become too important to ignore. “I didn’t ask for an explanation,” White said of the call. “I think there was a reaction probably after a call or a no-call.”
Then she addressed the bigger picture. “But yeah, I mean certainly there are conversations, you know, and there have to be conversations,” White said. “It’s a long season… making sure that we’re strategic in using our technical fouls.”
The warning comes after several weeks in which Clark’s relationship with WNBA officials has become nearly as much of a storyline as her play on the court.
Earlier this month, cameras caught Clark unleashing at an official after believing she had been fouled on a drive against the Golden State Valkyries. Although she avoided a technical that night, she didn’t hide her frustration afterward.
Under WNBA rules, an eighth technical foul triggers an automatic one-game suspension, with another suspension for every two technical fouls thereafter. Clark can absorb one more technical without missing time, but the margin for error has nearly disappeared.