Republicans ask WNBA to protect Caitlin Clark from possible ‘racially motivated’ attacks

Clark has been on the end of hard fouls during career

Black players routinely receive racist abuse in WNBA

Eleven Republican politicians have written to the WNBA asking the league to protect Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark from “multiple attacks” on court.

Clark has been on the receiving end of hard fouls since she entered the league in 2024 after a stellar college career with Iowa. Recently, the Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game. Thomas was not called for a foul at the time but the WNBA later suspended her for one game. Thomas and her family received racist abuse and death threats after the incident.

In the letter, the Republican politicians, led by congressman August Pfluger, praise Clark as “the face of your league” and someone who is bringing renewed interest to the WNBA , which has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. The lawmakers say they are worried by reports that “attacks against Clark may be racially motivated.” Clark is white and most players in the WNBA are Black.

“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 asks the league to clarify how it addresses “physical hostility and violence on the court,” how the league disciplines “overly aggressive acts on the court,” and how the WNBA is dealing with online harassment of its players.

The Fever said on Wednesday that they were unaware of the letter.

“Our organization nor Caitlin has had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter,” the statement read. “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.”

Few in the league believe the attacks on Clark are racially motivated, and star players in the WNBA and NBA are often the subject of physical play, particularly at the start of their careers. Black players in the league are routinely racially abused online .

Clark has long been a lightning rod for people to express their views on race and gender in the US.

Clark herself has spoken about her frustration at the storylines and abuse some of the coverage of her career generates.

“I turn the TV on Sunday and that game ​was on Wednesday and ‌that’s all people ​are still ​talking about. And I feel like that’s just a real disservice to our league,” said Clark. “Then for the narrative to be taken other places, it’s just really not acceptable. I think it’s just hard to see.”

Clark has also condemned the racist abuse of WNBA players. “It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism – hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA,” Clark said in 2024 .