NBA commissioner Adam Silver is accusing activists inside and outside of pro basketball of turning Caitlin Clark into a “political football” for their own agendas.
Referring to the July 6 incident when Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas kneed Clark in the groin and punched her in the throat, Silver claimed that the real issue wasn’t the foul.
“Ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating, and that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time in the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant on review,” he said, according to the New York Post.
Silver also had high praise for Clark’s character.
“I have come to know Caitlin really well,” Silver gushed. “She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can.”
But he went on, reiterating his accusations, saying, “She has become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her. I don’t think that issue is ultimately about officiating. It’s become a political ping-pong with her. And she’s a young woman who’s trying to improve her game.”
The refs initially ignored Thomas’ disgusting, cheap shots on Clark during the game. And Clark’s coach, Stephanie White, spoke out against the officials. White, who rarely comes to Clark’s support for the constant physical assaults she suffers on the boards, nonetheless blasted the officials for ignoring Thomas’ brutality, calling it ” absolutely unacceptable.”
The day after the game, Thomas’ actions were upgraded to a flagrant foul, and she was disciplined for her attack.
But Clark’s fans were outraged all over again when the punishment came to a mere one-game suspension.
Clark herself made a rare public comment and called for WNBA refs to do a better job at protecting the players.
“The league just has to do better at protecting our players. I don’t really think that it was up for debate. Obviously (the foul) wasn’t called in real time. You go back and watch the clip, and I think it’s pretty straightforward,” she said.
Silver agrees. While he still thinks the focus on the Thomas case is “unfair,” he has added that WNBA officials need to do better.
“I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about one foul,” Silver said. “Do we need to improve WNBA officiating? No doubt about it.”
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