Republican Lawmakers Urge WNBA To Protect Caitlin Clark From ‘Racially Motivated’ Attacks

Republicans in Congress argue that the Indiana Fever star has been subjected to repeated on-court violence.

A group of 11 Republican lawmakers is urging WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to take stronger action to protect Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark after a series of on-court incidents.

According to The Guardian, the lawmakers sent a letter claiming Clark has faced “repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence” and expressed concern that “many of these attacks against Caitlin Clark may be racially motivated.”

Led by Texas Rep. August Pfluger, the lawmakers argued that Clark has been “hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games,” while questioning whether the league has adequately enforced its rules. They also asked whether the Department of Justice should investigate whether federal civil rights laws have been violated.

The letter follows a June 24 game in which Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended one game after striking Clark in the throat. Thomas later said she received racist messages and death threats following the incident.

Clark, however, has condemned the harassment directed at players across the league.

“Nobody deserves that,” Clark said last week, according to Reuters. “Whether it’s me, whether it’s my teammates, whether it’s my coaches, whether it’s opposing players… there’s no place for that.”

She also pushed back on the continued focus surrounding the incident, saying, “It’s frustrating to me that that’s what everybody wants to talk about because that’s not what the league is about.”

The WNBA has expanded efforts to monitor online abuse and provide additional mental health resources for players amid growing concerns over harassment as the league’s popularity continues to surge.

In response, the Fever said that it was unaware of the lawmakers’ letter.

“Our organization nor Caitlin has had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter,” reads their statement. “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.”