Posted on 07/02/2026 1:11:51 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Former Philadelphia 76ers orthopedic consultant Dr. Nicholas DiNubile sent a stark warning to the WNBA about the fate of superstar Caitlin Clark.
Clark is currently out with a back injury, and concerns about her physical wellbeing have surged into a national controversy over the last week after she was punched in the throat by an opposing player in her last game, and referees didn't call a foul.
Clark has faced a history of controversial contact since coming into the league in 2024.
DiNubile admits he is troubled by what he has seen.
"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 Digital, addressing the risks of the recent punch against Clark's throat by Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas.
"You can crush someone’s larynx with very little pressure. Ten to 20 pounds of pressure can damage the throat or larynx area. 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," he said. "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... you can’t go for the throat."
But the doctor warned of other danger from similar hits to the one Clark has previously endured in the pros.
"She gets a lot to her face. She gets poked in the eye. She gets hit in the face," DiNubile said. "And they also, with her three-point shooting... there's a lot of where they get in her space and her landing space. You see that way too often and that's very, very dangerous.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Retire. This is her 3rd year. The league refuses to do anything.
Fight back? You can guarantee that she’ll be punished while those who have attacked her rarely are.
The officials have no spines.
She needs to go to Europe.
Surrender, Boomer?
I wonder what Tom Brady might say.
No, take her ball and go home before she is injured so badly her career is shot.
A point comes where one is colluding in one’s own abuse, instead of showing perseverance.
Caitlyn is giving away too much weight and reach to deal with opposing front court players in a violent confrontation. Plus, if she is the aggressor in a post-play confrontation we know who this league’s referees are going to ‘T-up’.
We all like Sophie Cunningham. But you’ll notice that she is attempting to bait these goons into a fight and there are no takers. She can read the scoreboard. Sophie knows if she wipes the floor with one of these ‘girls’ that she will be suspended.
Sophie’s alright in my book. I wonder if she likes dudes?
Boomer’s advice is not a surrender. It’s common sense.
One person cannot stop a herd of Cape Buffalo. So if you’re in the path of a herd of Cape Buffalo, it’s best to just get out of the way. That’s not a surrender.
“If she retires, these hate-filled gorillaettes will celebrate like they won something.”
Nobody will watch.
They will lose everything.
A quick check using Grok: In the season prior to Caitlin Clark joining the WNBA, the average per-game attendance league-wide was 6,615 fans per game, and only 4,067 for the Indiana Fever (Clark's team), near the league low. In Clark's rookie season (2024), average league attendance jumped to 9,807, with the Fever's home attendance experiencing a massive increase to 17,000+.
The "Caitlin Clark Effect" has continued since, as well, with the league averaging over 11,000 fans per game. Games involving Clark are still averaging 15,000+ fans, whereas games not including the Fever, or games Clark missed due to injury, only pulling in around 7,600 fans.
Without financial support from the NBA, and should these thugs succeed in causing an early retirement by Clark, the WNBA will be relegated to the scrap heap of history.
Good idea.
The Ultimate entity that is potentially liable here (they are the financial sugar daddy for the WNBA and could stop it instantly if they wanted to) for say 10 billion in damages is the NBA and they could pay it if Caitlyn got a judgment against them. She would have top lawyers lined up down the street to take the case.
If the trial were held in, say, Midland, Texas, the judgment would be, in my opinion, slam dunk.
Yeah ... the ‘dire consequences’ that are most likely will be the departure of Clark and Cunningham from the WNBA. Viewership plummets, revenues drop, and a bunch of ugly, black lezbos have to go back to street-walking.
The Fever really needs to hire a knuckle dragging “Punisher.” Basketball skills not required just brawling skills. Pay Kayla Harrison of UFC to suit up, put her on the roster and have her sit on the sideline. Anyone who attacks Caitlin gets an immediate smackdown. That would probably even draw in a lot more viewers to watch that,
No idea.
Russia is probably better (before the war).
Anyway CC is not going to leave USA.
Sue the WNBA for race based negligence.
Sue the players and referees involved for race based criminal assault.
Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark appears to be a hyper-woke white Leftist, so nothing will happen.
She could form her own league. Or create a team of all-stars, and travel the country and world and play the best teams in the world. Like the Harlem Globetrotters only with real competition.. Could do 60 games a year at 100 grand a pop. TV money would help big time. At least 5-10 million a year.She could have quality players if she pays 100 thou a year.
If real popular, form an international league. The wNBA is a sad joke being played on the NBA and b-ball fans.
Jus’ some stray thoughts....
Yep. The worst thing CcC did was to agree she had White Privilege. My girls play AAU and this action is reflected there too. Bloody nose, black eye, bruised chin yet no foul.
This is not an issue in the NBA because if a team's star was targeted his teammates would target the other team's star.
Mutually Assured Destruction.
A baseball analogy would be WWDDD? (What Would Don Drysdale Do?)
Ultimately, neither Caitlyn's coach nor her teammates have her back.
Have Bill Laimbeer put on a wig?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.