GOP Lawmakers Press WNBA Commissioner to Protect Caitlin Clark

The on-court abuse of WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has reached the halls of Congress.

The House Republican Study Committee, led by Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, sent a letter last week to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, arguing the league has not done enough to protect Clark from “unnecessary physical hostility and violence.”

Several members from Indiana, where Clark plays for the Indiana Fever, signed onto the letter.

Since joining the league—and, not coincidentally, dramatically raising the profile of the league—the sharpshooting basketball phenom has been subject to consistent battering from opposing players.

“Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games,” the House letter notes. “These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”

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Indeed, after a June 24 game where Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas pressed her fist down on Clark’s throat during a loose-ball scramble, Engelbert made a statement defending Thomas from online verbal abuse she received in the wake of the incident.

“However,” Fox News observed, “the WNBA did not put out any statement of support of Clark after she was punched in the throat.”

Thomas originally was not assessed a foul, but the next day, as outrage spread, she received a Flagrant Foul 2 and a one-game suspension.

A Potentially “Life-or-Death” Foul

The league’s apparent disinterest in the treatment of Clark caught the eye of a former orthopedic consultant for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, who spent countless NBA games courtside, observed that opposing players appear hellbent on injuring Clark.

“The type of contact and the amount of contact that she gets is concerning to me. It’s troubling to me,” DiNubile told Fox News. “You can crush someone’s larynx with very little pressure. Even if you don’t fracture the larynx, a blow to that area, you could get some swelling or bleeding and close the airway and get into a very rapid life-or-death situation. I wouldn’t want to be the team doctor having to deal with that. That’s what keeps us up at night, those kind of things that you have to respond to on the court.”

DiNubile also noted the number of hits Clark has taken to the eyes and face, while fretting there is little the player can do to protect herself.

Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson predicted last week the worst is yet to come:

Someone is either going to punch her in the neck, or kick her in the back, or knock her flat, and she’s going to be so permanently injured or psychologically traumatized that she knows she can’t shoot. She can’t pass. And she is going to retire. 

And I think that is the purpose of a lot of the players doing this. 

Crushing the Golden Goose

The targeting of Clark is perplexing, the House letter observes, given what the record-breaking Iowa University grad has done for women’s basketball.

“Caitlin Clark is transforming women’s sports,” lawmakers said. “She has inspired a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics and has become one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s basketball.”

“She is also the face of your league,” the members added. “Clark has significantly increased fan interest, driven record television ratings, and attracted new corporate sponsors for the WNBA.”

The letter expresses concern over reports that “attacks against Clark may be racially motivated.”

Investigating Potential Civil Rights Violations

The Republicans say Engelbert has an “obligation” to protect players and warn they would support an investigation of the league for potential federal civil rights violations.

“As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,” the letter stated. “If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws.”

The lawmakers requested the WNBA respond by July 24 to questions concerning the league’s “review mechanism for physical hostility and violence on the court,” accountability for players’ “overly aggressive” acts on the court, and protection for players from online harassment.

“Discrimination of any kind has no place in women’s sports,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “The WNBA’s failure to act on these concerning incidents shows an indifference, or active disregard, for civil rights protections.”

As of Tuesday morning, neither Engelbert nor the WNBA publicly commented on the letter and request for information. Said Pfluger on Monday, “Commissioner Engelbert has had every chance to protect Caitlin Clark and hold those responsible accountable, and instead we’ve gotten crickets.”