Caitlin Clark Held Back After Explosive Clash With Ref In Game

Caitlin Clark's frustrations with recent officiating boiled over on Tuesday -- the WNBA superstar went off on a referee during the Fever vs. Sun game, forcing a coach to step in and pull her away.

It happened in the third quarter of the contest at TD Garden in Boston ... when Clark and referee Michael Price were going back and forth on the court.

It's unclear what Price said to Clark, but whatever it was struck a nerve ... turning a calm exchange into a heated one.

The broadcast captured the intense moment, showing Clark lashing out at Price as she was about to get in his face. Thankfully, that didn't happen -- a Fever coach stepped in to restrain her.

It didn't end there. They got into another argument later on ... and social media lip-readers believe Clark dropped some bad words, including an F-bomb.

Somehow, Clark -- who scored 14 points in last night's game -- managed not to receive any technical fouls for her outbursts.

Sophie Cunningham -- Clark's popular protector on the court -- faced her own drama in the game. The Fever guard took a hard elbow to the head from Sun's Leila Lacan during the matchup.

Many saw it as revenge after Cunningham got into a fight with Sun guard Jacy Sheldon during their July 17 game, which was retaliation for hitting Clark earlier in that game.

Despite all the drama, the Fever won 85-77, but Clark reinjured her groin in the final minute of the victory, leaving fans worried about her WNBA All-Star availability this weekend.