Lindsay Whalen received six technical fouls during her Hall of Fame basketball career. Most of them were achieved with that intent.
Other times, she toed the line in making her point to the referee.
"I would just complain," she said, "and then at the end, I would smile and wink. That goes so far."
Whalen acknowledges that "there is definitely an art" to addressing the officials as a player or coach when protesting calls or non-calls without crossing into histrionics that become distracting or self-sabotaging.
That sideshow has become a frequent topic for the Timberwolves as Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards have taken turns feuding with refs.