A group of Republican lawmakers have waded into the WNBA controversy surrounding Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
The league faced yet another scandal last month when Clark – arguably the face of the WNBA – was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury rival Alyssa Thomas.
The incident has sparked a wave of backlash over the course of the past two weeks from fans, players and analysts alike.
Now, 11 Republican members of Congress have also entered the fray demanding that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert take ‘accountability’ for the ‘multiple attacks’ on Clark.
The congressmen and women, led by US Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, sent a letter to the Commissioner, questioning how she intends to keep players, namely Clark, safe on the court.
The letter describes Clark as ‘the face of your league,’ crediting her for increased fan interest, television ratings and corporate sponsorships,
A group of Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas (pictured), have waded into the WNBA controversy surrounding Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark
Fever star Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas
It claims that the former No. 1 overall pick has been on the receiving end of ‘unnecessary physical hostility and violence.’
Furthermore, the lawmakers expressed concerns that the ‘attacks’ against Clark, which have included hip-checking, eye-poking and recently, being struck in the throat, ‘may be racially motivated.’
‘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 read.
‘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 put forward three questions to Commissioner Engelbert, demanding to know; about the league’s review process for ‘physical hostility and violence on the court’; how the league holds players accountable for ‘overly aggressive acts on the court’; what steps the league is taking to protect players from online harassment.
The letter requested that the league respond to the questions no later than July 24.
The Fever told ESPN on Wednesday that they were unaware of the letter and had had no interaction with the congressional group.
‘Our organization nor Caitlin has had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter,’ the organization said in a statement.
The lawmakers wrote to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding answers
Pfluger is a top ally of Donald Trump. Pictured with the President and his wife Camille
‘We have been clear in our public comments and in our ongoing dialogue with the League about the priority of player safety. Our players and our fans know where we stand on those issues, and we will continue to stick up for our team and a standard of excellence across the league.’
The Fever guard was driving to the hoop when she fell to the ground in the paint while under pressure from a number of Mercury defenders.
Three rival players were battling to strip the ball away from Clark and succeeded in doing so. But, while Clark was down on the floor, Thomas charged in and put her closed fist into the Fever superstar’s neck.
The WNBA’s lack of reaction to Thomas’ punch on Clark has sparked a firestorm directed at the player, officials and the league for what some believe is a routine failure to protect the Indiana Fever star.
In the days that followed, Thomas said she was racially abused online and received threats toward herself and her family – including her children.
Clark spoke for five minutes to media in Indianapolis last Friday – which were her first public comments since the incident took place on June 24.
‘As I’ve stood up here and said before, like the harassment, the hate, none of that is okay. That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches, there should never be a question of character,’ Clark told reporters.
‘I’ve always stood up here and said that, and that’s truly what I believe. That’s how I was raised. So none of that is okay and I don’t want anybody to ever experience that.’
The letter describes Clark as ‘the face of your league,’ crediting her for increased fan interest
Thomas says she’s been the victim of racial abuse and threats to her family after the incident
Clark condemned the abuse of Thomas as she addressed the incident for the first time
Clark also believes that the media’s focus on the incident nine days after it happened is not helping the situation and isn’t helping the league.
‘It’s really interesting to me because, I turned the TV on on Sunday, and that game was on Wednesday, and that’s all people are still talking about,’ Clark recalled. ‘And I feel like that’s just a real disservice to our league.
‘And I get it, you talk about it, you talk about whether it’s flagrant, you talk about whatever it is.
‘But to continue to beat down, beat down, and then for the narrative to be taken other places, that’s just really not acceptable. I think it’s just— it’s hard to see, you know.’
Clark said that the constant conversation about it made her feel ‘bad for the players that were playing the games those days. And also, I feel bad for my teammates.
‘They played on Friday and they dominated and they played really well and nobody wanted to talk about that. They were just worried about everything else.’
She added, ‘I think it’s all of our jobs to help refocus the narratives a lot of the times and we can do better at that. And I think it’ll help our game grow a lot more.’
