WNBA star Caitlin Clark was hit with her fourth technical foul of the season during the Indiana Fever’s latest win.
The 22-year-old Fever rookie appeared to hit Minnesota Lynx forward Cecilia Zandalasini in the face with a stray arm during Sunday’s game in Minneapolis.
3
3
Clark finished with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds in a packed Target Center.
The No. 1 overall pick struggled to keep pace as he shot 3 of 14 through the first three quarters.
And a frustrated Clark appeared to lash out at Zandalasini as he was denied a counterattack late in the third.
Clark broke off the court after a turnover, with the Lynx forward grabbing her around the waist to impede her progress.
READ MORE ABOUT CAITLIN CLARK
ESPN replays showed the former Iowa star impulsively extending his arm in response.
Clark’s hand appeared to graze Zandalasini’s face, with the referees initially penalizing the Lynx star for the hit.
The referees reviewed the play after a request from the Minnesota bench, giving Clark a technical foul.
Clark has already received his fourth coach this season.
She is three out of seven that would result in a one-game suspension.
Viewers were torn as to whether Clark’s physical approach merited a technical foul.
“Yes. Can’t hit players in the face,” wrote one fan on X in response to the filming.
“She needs to learn to control her emotions,” commented another.
“It’s a dirty move,” added a third.
“No, the girl grabbed CC by the elbow and, frustrated, CC had an instinctive reaction… it wasn’t malicious… the Lynx player was called for a foul?” he struck out a fourth.
“I don’t think Caitlin purposely made contact with Zandalasini’s face, but that contact is usually upgraded to technical. Relax, Caitlin – this is a teachable moment,” said a fifth.
The Fever got the win at Target Center, their third in four games.
Clark committed six turnovers, but also passed Sue Bird for second in assists for a WNBA rookie.
The 22-year-old now has 139 turnovers in her rookie year, the most by a player in a single season in WNBA history, per ESPN.
Clark missed the Paris Olympics earlier this month after being overlooked for a place on the team.
“It gives you something to work for, something to dream about,” she told reporters when asked about the apparent snub on Sunday.
“Also, I feel like I can continue to improve a lot, and for me, that’s my main focus and that’s what I’m most excited about for the future.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
