Lawmakers press WNBA for accountability over attacks on Caitlin Clark in scathing letter

Caitlin Clark’s season has been dominated by the headlines surrounding the physical play she’s faced.Now, a group of United States lawmakers is trying to make its voices heard with the WNBA.

Led by Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep.August Pfluger (Texas), a cohort of congressional representatives wrote a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert over what they have called “repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence” toward the Fever star.

The 11 Republican lawmakers said Clark has faced aggression on the court and outside the court on social media, and it’s time for the league to do a better job officiating things in real time.“Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games,” the letter read.“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.

Recently, a player even appeared to endorse violence against Clark in a social media post, further fueling concerns about the culture surrounding these incidents.“In addition, concerning reports suggest that many of these attacks against Caitlin Clark may be racially motivated.”Things came to a head on June 24 — and the ensuing days — when Clark and the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas went for a loose ball, and as Clark went to the floor, she was hit in the throat.

Thomas was not called for a foul on the play.However, a day later, she was retroactively handed a flagrant 2 foul and a one-game suspension.Clark, in the days after debate shows, pundits and columnists weighed in on the treatment, spoke up, and said that it should have been called a flagrant and that the league might be wise to invest in better technology to get calls right during games.

“I did think it was a flagrant foul and our refereeing just needs to be better,” Clark said Friday.“And, you know, it’s tough.

Obviously, the refs are in a really d...