13 Republicans Press WNBA to Protect Caitlin Clark as Officiating Scrutiny Deepens
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 8
13 Republicans Press WNBA to Protect Caitlin Clark as Officiating Scrutiny Deepens
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 8
Summary
A 13-member group of Republican lawmakers sent WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert a letter demanding answers on player safety, saying the league has failed to protect Caitlin Clark from repeated excessive contact.
The letter cites incidents in which Clark was hip-checked, poked in the eye and struck in the throat, arguing those plays went beyond normal physicality and were not handled properly by officials.
One flashpoint came in Clark's June 24 game against Phoenix, when Alyssa Thomas avoided a flagrant foul in real time before the league later upgraded the play to Flagrant 2 and suspended her for one game.
Clark herself recently said the WNBA must do a better job protecting players, while the lawmakers warned that any discrimination, retaliation or hostile work environment could warrant federal investigation.
The pressure lands despite an offseason officiating overhaul and a new task force on physicality, with coaches, players and executives still criticizing inconsistent whistles nearly two months into the season.