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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....

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith suggested on Wednesday that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was responsible for some of the resentment toward her in the WNBA. Smith and "First Take" panelists Monica McNutt and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo broke down the skirmishes between Fever and Connecticut Sun players. Clark was on the receiving end of an eye poke from Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and was then bumped to the floor by Marina Mabrey. Clark and Sun players were talking trash throughout the game as tensions began to rise early and eventually boil over. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham also got into...

'Let's talk about basketball!' Caitlin Clark bristles in news conference Fever star Caitlin Clark gets frustrated with reporters for asking about scuffles with the Sun despite Indiana advancing to the Commissioner's Cup championship.

Caitlin Clark was in the middle of a fiery scene between the Fever and Sun on Tuesday night. Clark, while dribbling with the ball in the offensive end of the court during the third quarter of Indiana’s 88-71 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, was fouled near the right eye by Jacy Sheldon. The Indiana star took exception and bumped and shoved Sheldon. That’s when the Sun came to the defense of Sheldon, with Tina Charles coming close to Clark and wagging her index finger, while Marina Mabrey was more physical, pushing Clark to the ground. After all was said and done,...

Caitlin Clark put the rest of the WNBA on notice as she returned to the Indiana Fever lineup with a vengeance and upended the New York Liberty’s undefeated streak on Saturday night. Clark’s 32-point victory in the 102-88 win gave Indiana its fifth win of the season. Clark made seven 3-pointers, including three in a 38-second span that even shocked former Liberty star Rebecca Lobo. The Basketball Hall of Famer talked about Clark’s performance and what she means to WNBA viewership as the league saw numbers dwindle a bit in her absence. "It means a lot more people are paying...

The WNBA continues to deny OutKick a credential to cover Atlanta Dream games. The team and league claim they can't accommodate our requests due to "very limited space." We appreciate the emphasis on "very." Still, no one actually believes the WNBA can't find the "space" for us to cover a regular-season game involving the Dream and Connecticut Sun. WNBA games in June are hardly the Super Bowl, where reporters from all across the country clamor for access. In fact, the Sun granted several media credentials to OutKick last year, including a playoff game featuring the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark....

A video compilation of physical assaults by black WNBA players against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is going viral with more than ten million views. The video shows Clark getting brutally body-checked, tripped, slapped, and elbowed over and over again on the court. The video compilation of hits was reposted by a number of social media users, including actor James Woods, who felt that the video shows an obvious case of racism. Many others have also chimed in:

Racism doesn’t become justice when roles reverse—bigotry dressed as victimhood still poisons the well of a multiracial democracy. One reason why the public turned on DEI was its insistence that roughly 70 percent of the country was stereotyped as victimizers by virtue of their skin color. In contrast, the other “diverse” 30 percent were de facto considered the victimized. In such absurd binaries, the left returned to the old “one-drop” rule of the antebellum South, suggesting that anyone with any nonwhite ancestry was a minority victim. And once that Marxist-inspired dichotomy was institutionalized, a corollary was established that the self-declared...