CNN host Abby Phillip said Republicans appear to be rallying behind Caitlin Clark because she is white, arguing that race is driving the political attention surrounding the Indiana Fever star.
During CNN’s Table for Five on Saturday, Phillip and a panel discussed a letter from 11 Republican lawmakers to Cathy Engelbert demanding action over what they described as repeated, racially motivated attacks against Clark.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) spearheaded the effort, warning the WNBA that if it continued allowing what he called the violent targeting of Clark, it could face investigations by the Justice Department and the EEOC over possible civil rights violations.
Sports broadcaster Cari Champion dismissed the lawmakers’ concerns, saying they did not understand the sport.
“I think it’s really, really disrespectful,” Champion said, arguing that the physical play Clark has faced is “a rite of passage” in the WNBA. She said the league has always been physical and rejected claims that players were targeting Clark because of her race.
Phillip agreed that Clark is a major star but questioned why Republican lawmakers have made her treatment a political issue.
“The problem with Caitlin Clark is that she is a superstar. She’s great at what she does. However, the attention that she’s getting from Republicans and from government seems to be exclusively because she is white.”
Many X users praised Pfluger’s move, thanking him for taking action and arguing that Clark has been unfairly targeted despite helping drive the WNBA’s surge in popularity.
“Thank you, sir! It takes a Texan to make this happen,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Thank you so much. I don’t understand the hate her colleagues show towards her. She has transformed the WNBA. More fans than ever have bought tickets, league merchandise, not to mention the trickle down sales for the venues from arenas, concession, overnight stays. It’s a shame!”
Not everyone agreed with Pfluger’s effort, however. Some X users argued Congress should focus on other priorities, saying the WNBA is a private business.
“I’m a huge CC fan and would love to see the WNBA get better overall. However, this doesn’t seem like a congressional attention item,” one user said. “The WNBA is a private business. To the extent there is a labor, or protected class issue, seems best to let agencies handle. Otherwise this seems like the social media click baiting, fake outage, hyberbole that make things worse not better.”
“Pass the Save America Act. This is a waste of your time and our tax payer dollars,” another commented.