WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert responded on July 24 to a letter from Pfluger and 10 other House Republicans who questioned whether the league had adequately protected Clark and held opposing players accountable for overly physical conduct.In the two-page response obtained exclusively by OutKick, Engelbert said the WNBA’s "top priority is the health, safety, and well-being of every player in our league, including Caitlin Clark."REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS PRESS WNBA COMMISSIONER CATHY ENGELBERT TO PROTECT CAITLIN CLARKIndiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark tries to defend herself during a loose ball scramble while Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas stands over her.(Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)In the response, the commissioner outlined the league’s standard procedures for reviewing officiating and potentially dangerous play but did not address any of the Clark-related incidents cited by the lawmakers individually."The WNBA’s response falls short of what we asked for, unsurprisingly," Pfluger told OutKick in a statement.
"We didn’t request a description of the league’s general officiating and disciplinary procedures, we asked how those procedures have actually been applied in the specific incidents we raised involving Caitlin Clark, and the league chose not to answer that."Engelbert wrote that WNBA Basketball Operations and Referee Operations conduct separate reviews after every game.One review examines "atypical or overly physical plays," while the other evaluates the overall performance of the officials.WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addresses reporters before the WNBA All-Star Game.
(TNS)WNBA MEDIA PREDICTABLY EMBARRASSES ITSELF AGAIN BY IGNORING SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM STORY OVER ALL-STAR WEEKENDThose reviews can result in fouls being upgraded after a game, as well as fines, suspensions or other disciplinary measures.The league also uses the reviews to inform future officiating evaluations, training and guidance, Engelbert wrote."I...