Frustrated Caitlin Clark Swipes At Opponent's Face, Called For Technical Foul In Fever Win

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Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark entered Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on the best run of her young career. 

Entering the contest, Clark had five-straight double-doubles, including back-to-back games with 20+ points and 13 assists. The game prior to that run, she became the first rookie in WNBA history to post a triple-double. 

But nothing was easy to come by for Clark on Sunday against the Lynx. Minnesota made a concerted effort to stop Clark and it was mostly successful. 

They held her to a season-low in first quarter points (1) and she had just 7 points and 1 assist at halftime. 

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark struggled on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx and eventually got frustrated enough to commit a technical foul.

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark struggled on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx and eventually got frustrated enough to commit a technical foul.

(David Berding/Getty Images)

In the second half, Clark was dribbling near half court and looking to press the tempo. Lynx forward Alanna Smith grabbed Clark's arm and was called for a foul. 

But Clark reacted to the grab by taking a swipe at Smith's face and she connected. Smith could be seen holding her right eye closed after taking the shot. 

Referees went to the monitor and assessed a technical foul on Caitlin Clark. 

It wasn't the most aggressive technical foul, but referees made the correct call. Clark was clearly frustrated by her play during the game and the foul by Smith sent her over the edge. 

Clark is generally good at controlling her emotions on the court and using them to fuel her play. However, her emotions definitely got the best of her during that interaction with Smith.

Fortunately for Clark, her teammates picked her up in the game. Aliyah Boston had a monster 17-point, 16-rebound double-double and Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points. 

Clark finished with 17 points, but she shot just 5-17 from the field and 2-11 from three, while adding six assists and three rebounds. 

Still, it was enough for the Fever to pull out the win, beating Minnesota 81-74. 

Indiana has won eight of its last 12 games and next plays Wednesday at Dallas. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.