Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 10
Stephanie White Deflects Questions on 11 Republicans' Caitlin Clark Letter as Fever Sits Star
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 10

Stephanie White Deflects Questions on 11 Republicans' Caitlin Clark Letter as Fever Sits Star

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 10

Summary

  • Stephanie White twice declined Thursday to weigh in on a letter from 11 Republican lawmakers to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert about Caitlin Clark's treatment, saying the Fever would focus on what they can control.
  • The team had already said it and Clark had no contact with the congressional group and were unaware of the letter, while reiterating that player safety remains a priority in talks with the league.
  • Lawmakers cited incidents in which Clark was hip-checked, poked in the eye and struck in the throat, arguing the WNBA and its officiating have not done enough to deter excessive physical play.
  • Clark was ruled out against Phoenix despite playing 16 minutes Wednesday and saying her body felt great; White had said Clark and Aliyah Boston would split the back-to-back.
  • The matchup carried extra scrutiny because Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas was suspended 1 game after a June 24 postgame review found she struck Clark in the throat.

Insights

Can the WNBA protect its stars from on-court hostility without fundamentally altering the physical nature of the game?
Could federal civil rights laws now be used to police on-court conduct in other professional sports leagues?