Free Republic

Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson wore a shirt that said “Trans rights are human rights” before Tuesday’s 105-95 loss to the Fever, which seemed to be a direct response to Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments about transgender athletes. Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports in an ESPN article published last week — and days later, she doubled down ahead of the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun. After the game, a reporter asked Fever head coach Stephanie White about the anti-trans rally and Cunningham’s recent comments. A Fever spokesperson immediately stepped in and...

Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark were not made available to answer postgame questions about a rally before the Indiana Fever's 105-95 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night in support of Cunningham's recent comments about transgender athletes. A crowd of a few dozen gathered outside Climate Pledge Arena to both support Cunningham and promote statewide Initiatives 638 and 011, which would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools. Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports in an ESPN article published last week. Cunningham was booed by Storm fans...

Sophie Cunningham appears to be of MAGA mindset. The WNBA star, who created a firestorm over her comments about transgender athletes, has also shared videos promoting anti-immigration and other right-wing sentiments. First reported by MeidasTouch, the Indiana Fever guard reposted a video on TikTok, where she has 3.2 million followers, captioned: “the illegal immigrant conversation confuses me so much.” The re-posted creator, who also included the hashtags “MAGA” and “conservatives,” blasted undocumented people for not “following rules” and argued that those who enter the United States illegally do not deserve sympathy. “You shouldn’t have ----ing came here to begin with,”...

There is an old principle, which economists call revealed preference, holding that we discover what people truly value not from what they announce but from what they do. A man may say he prefers the symphony, but if every free evening finds him at the ballpark, we have learned something his words concealed. Institutions reveal themselves the same way. A league may praise its brightest star, sell her jersey, and run her highlights, and yet, if we watch what it does when she is knocked to the floor and when its honors are handed out.... Let us begin with the...

Nancy Armour's column argues Clark's reactions to officiating fuel racist harassment of opponentsUSA Today columnist Nancy Armour wants Caitlin Clark to stop flopping and berating WNBA officials. Plenty of people agree with that take, including OutKick's Dan Dakich. Others would argue that Clark’s frustration is understandable, given the physical treatment she has received and the WNBA’s inconsistent officiating. Either way, Armour is well within her rights to criticize Clark’s behavior on the court. Armour argues that Clark’s reactions to missed calls put "Black" and "queer" WNBA players "in danger," essentially blaming Clark for alleged racist messages sent by people she...

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin “Contusion” Clark has locked herself into a grievance spiral, constantly gaslighting her fans, the media, and the general public.I never expected a black-and-white psychological thriller from 1944 to perfectly describe the current, exhausting state of the WNBA and Caitlin “Contusion” Clark’s antics, but here we are. In the classic film, Gaslight, Gregory Anton systematically manipulates his wife, Paula, into believing she’s losing her mind. He secretly dims their home’s gas lights without telling her, misplaces items only to blame her for being absent-minded for losing them, isolates her, and flatly denies reality as she doubts her...

Caitlin Clark delivered the best performance of her WNBA career Friday night, scoring a franchise-record 45 points and adding 10 assists to become the first player in league history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game.Caitlin Clark has already built a highlight reel that most players could only dream about, but Friday night may have been the finest performance of her WNBA career. Every time the Indiana Fever needed a big basket, Clark seemed to have the answer. She buried deep three-pointers, attacked the rim, knocked down free throws and continued to create easy looks for her teammates. By the time...

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not planning to suspend Alyssa Thomas for burying a fist into Caitlin Clark’s throat three weeks ago until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver implored her to reverse course and issue the discipline, multiple sources told SBJ Tuesday. Engelbert subsequently suspended Thomas for one game and ordered a Flagrant 2 penalty that carried a $1,000 fine. While a WNBA spokesperson said Wednesday it was “absolutely false’’ that Engelbert did not originally plan to suspend Thomas, sources believe the fact Silver needed to persuade Engelbert is another sign she is likely in her final season as commissioner. League...

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 criticism of WNBA officiating has now reached Capitol Hill. Just days after Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark publicly called on the league to do a better job protecting its players, a group of Republican lawmakers is demanding answers from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. In a letter led by Rep. August Pfluger, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and co-signed by a dozen members of Congress — including lawmakers from Indiana — the group argued that the WNBA has failed to adequately protect its biggest star from repeated unnecessary physical play. "Caitlin Clark is transforming women's sports," the letter began....

This video from Black Conservative Perspective criticizes the WNBA for its handling of physical play against Caitlin Clark. The creator argues that Clark is being unfairly targeted by fellow players due to professional jealousy and her identity as a straight, white woman (2:09 - 2:37, 18:03 - 18:27). Key points discussed in the video: The Incident: The video highlights a specific play where Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas made contact with Caitlin Clark's throat during a loose-ball scramble (4:22 - 4:44). The league subsequently assessed Thomas a one-game suspension for this "reckless" act (16:54). Calls for Protection: The host contends...

Caitlin Clark has been urged to leave the WNBA behind after she was the victim of another sickening act of on-court violence. The Indiana Fever superstar, who has transformed the fortunes of the WNBA since entering the league in 2024, appeared to be punched in the throat by Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury. It is the latest example of Clark falling victim to rough treatment from rivals, which also marred her rookie season in 2024. But the WNBA continues to overlook the physicality imposed on Clark and referees didn't even bother to call a foul for the incident involving...

Fever coach Stephanie White went off on officials for not calling what she deemed two "cheap shots" on star guard Caitlin Clark in Wednesday night's 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in Indianapolis, where Clark exited in the second half because of back issues. White said Wednesday's game continued a pattern of Clark being officiated differently than the rest of the WNBA players. "We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots [against her] right there that weren't called," White said. "Absolutely unacceptable." Clark left the game with 5:15 left in the third quarter and did...

Taurasi wanted the WNBA to show the girls the money.Diana Taurasi has been one of the WNBA’s most elite players for two decades. The problem was that she was never paid like one. That’s why the 2009 MVP hopes to see the best women’s basketball players receive the compensation they deserve when the next collective bargaining agreement takes effect. “I always thought about I should’ve get paid for being the best basketball player in the world, not for doing social media or doing commercials,” Taurasi told Front Office Sports back in August. “That was one of the things I...

Folks who attended Friday night’s Vikings-Titans game in Nashville saw something unexpected, but not quite as uncommon as it used to be. A green dildo was thrown onto the field. It’s become a trend at WNBA games in recent weeks. The phenomenon has NFL roots, however. Late in Tom Brady’s tenure with the Patriots, Bills fans threw pink dildos onto the field whenever he played in Buffalo. It happened most recently in 2022, in a Pats-Bills game not involving Brady. Whether Friday night’s gesture was an aberration or a trend remains to be seen. However, Brady likely will be back...

The story surrounding Caitlin Clark’s mysterious injury keeps evolving, yet Clark has been physically active while she’s supposedly in recovery. BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes that like other female sports stars before her, she may be suffering from a mental health decline. “Caitlin Clark has disappeared and vanished. She doesn’t talk to reporters. We’re getting no legitimate information from anybody in the Indiana Fever organization. This is the biggest star in sports, and other than a Sue Bird podcast, we hear nothing,” Whitlock says. “Caitlin Clark has disappeared and vanished. She doesn’t talk to reporters. We’re getting no legitimate information...

The Indiana Fever continue to sideline Caitlin Clark until she recovers from a groin injury she suffered on July 15 against the Connecticut Sun. Clark’s third muscle injury this season has forced the Fever to be extra cautious with her. Fever coach Stephanie White has said on a few occasions that the team will not rush a return for the All-Star guard. Talk show host Skip Bayless had this to say on Thursday after Clark sat out against the LA Sparks Tuesday, her eighth straight missed game: “Is it possible that this time, she tore her groin so badly that...

There’s no question that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is one of the faces of the WNBA. But since entering the league out of Iowa, the attention she’s drawn has clearly made her a target among many of the league’s established players. That spotlight has seemingly brought added intensity and competitiveness her way. And while Clark has been sidelined for much of the year due to a series of injuries, this week her teammate Sophie Cunningham—who signed with the Fever this offseason—spoke out, saying the WNBA’s treatment of Clark has gone too far. “You’ve seen players in our league try...

A Denton, Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to stalking basketball star Caitlin Clark, receiving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Michael Lewis Pleads Guilty Michael Lewis, 55, admitted in Marion County, Indiana court to sending numerous threats and sexually explicit messages to Clark via social media between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025. Lewis pleaded guilty to stalking, a Level 6 felony, and harassment, a Class B misdemeanor. The two-and-a-half-year sentence is the maximum penalty for a Level 6 felony in Indiana. The plea agreement includes a no-contact order for Clark and court-ordered protections for various locations in Indianapolis. Lewis is...

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed the constant physicality star guard Caitlin Clark continues to face in the league after Clark went down with what appeared to be a groin injury during Tuesday night’s win over the Connecticut Sun. Speaking to reporters after the 85-77 win. White was asked about her thoughts on the "physical battle" Clark has faced – both throughout the season and in Tuesday’s game. "Are you trying to get me fined again?" White asked with a laugh, before expanding on her answer. "There’s a level of physicality that they’re able to play with against her....