Fever coach Stephanie White was asked on Thursday about the letter sent by several members of Congress to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert about the treatment of Caitlin Clark by other players and whether it is racially motivated. White said, “Our team made a statement yesterday, so you can find that statement.” She added, “That’s not something we can control. We’re not affiliated with those groups” (X, 7/9).
The Fever’s statement stated: “Our organization nor Caitlin have had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter. 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” (X, 7/8).
In Indianapolis, Gregg Doyel wrote the “Caitlin Clark culture war has spun completely out of control” now that the “politicians have gotten involved, doing much of the talking and none of the listening.” A mixture of “elected officials and her self-appointed representatives are pushing an ugly narrative of Us vs. Them.” Clark “didn’t ask for this.” Last week she defended “any WNBA player subject to the harassment, the hate, coming from certain corners ... claiming to be supporters of Caitlin Clark.” Doyel: “Has she done all she could to stop it from happening? No, if we’re being honest, she hasn’t done all she could.” There are “stronger statements she could make, but she’s just 24 and has been swept up in cultural currents beyond her control” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/9).
