At least 11 Republican U.S. representatives have called upon the WNBA to take “accountability” for “multiple attacks” against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Released on Wednesday, the letter spearheaded by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) demanded that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert investigate why Caitlin Clark has been allegedly subject to “unnecessary physical hostility and violence.”
The letter comes weeks after the Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas punched Caitlin Clark in the throat while the two were entangled. As Breitbart News reported at the time:
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas kneed Clark in the groin several times while Clark was on the ground, even when Clark had already passed the ball off to her teammates, and there was no play near Clark and Thomas. To make matters worse, Thomas then jammed her fist into Clark’s neck as she got up from the floor. Then she kicked at Clark’s legs as she got up and stepped over the Fever star.
Clark later left the game with a back injury, and it remains unknown whether it resulted from Thomas. Following the game, the Phoenix Mercury shared a stick figure on X with the caption, “De-Wanna piece of this?!?” Fans immediately condemned the post, and the team later deleted it.
In the letter to Engelbert, the Republican lawmakers said they were concerned by reports that “attacks against Clark may be racially motivated.”
“As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,” the letter said. “If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws.”
The letter said that Engelbert and the WNBA have until July 24 to respond.
“I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women’s sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics,” said Pfluger in an announcement on X. ” I’m putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could find themselves facing a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law.”
On Wednesday, the Indiana Fever said they were not made aware of the letter before its release.
“Our organization nor Caitlin has had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter,” the Fever said. “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.”