Adam Silver says Caitlin Clark has been pulled into politics
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said debate around Caitlin Clark, WNBA contact and officiating has become unfair to the Fever star.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stepped into the hottest Caitlin Clark debate in the WNBA, saying the Indiana Fever guard has become a “political football” as arguments over officiating and physical play keep swirling around her.
Silver made the comments Thursday in New York during an onstage conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Game Plan Summit, which was presented by CNBC and Boardroom, according to the Associated Press.
The commissioner said the latest round of debate, tied to a recent play involving Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, has grown well beyond the call itself.
“Ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating,” Silver said, according to the AP, “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.”
Silver said he has gotten to know Clark “really well” and described her as both an “incredible player” and an “incredible person.” He said Clark wants to concentrate on becoming the best player she can be.
“She has become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it's incredibly unfair to her,” Silver said, according to the AP. He added that the issue has become “political ping-pong” around a young player trying to sharpen her game.
The play that reignited the fight
The incident Silver referenced came during a June 24 game between the Fever and the Mercury. In the second quarter, Thomas made contact with Clark’s throat with her fist, according to the AP.
No foul was called on Thomas during the game. Afterward, the WNBA reviewed the play, upgraded it to a flagrant foul and suspended Thomas for one game for “recklessly making contact with her fist,” the AP reported.
Thomas later said the contact was accidental. She has also said she received death threats and racial slurs after the play, and she criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect players in the league, according to the AP.
Clark and Fever coach Stephanie White have condemned the threats directed at Thomas.
Officiating still under the microscope
Silver did not say WNBA officiating should be left alone. He said the league needs to get better in that area, even as he pushed back on the idea that the Clark debate is only about whistles.
“Do we need to improve WNBA officiating? No doubt about it,” Silver said, according to the AP.
Clark’s entrance into the WNBA has brought a surge of attention. The AP reported that she has helped drive significant increases in ticket sales and television ratings since joining the league.
That spotlight has also brought louder arguments around the Fever guard, with conversations about her often moving into race, politics, officiating and how physical opponents are with her on the court.
Silver’s message was that Clark should not be made the center of a national argument every time a foul, review or hard play becomes part of the WNBA news cycle.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.