Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been at the center of some controversy in the WNBA over the past several days after Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for one game after making contact with Clark’s neck during a game. Thomas revealed that she received death threats and hateful racist messaging as a result of the incident.
Now, Clark herself is speaking out. While she reiterated that she believed that foul was a flagrant foul, she also condemned any and all hate that Thomas has been receiving.
‘Our Reffing Needs to be Better’
On Friday, Clark spoke to the media for the first time since the incident and Thomas’ suspension, and she addressed the situation right off the bat.
Clark made it clear that she does believe the contact to her neck merited a flagrant foul and called on the officials to be better while acknowledging that their job is “one of the hardest jobs in the world.”
“First of all, I know what you guys are going to ask, and I did think it was a flagrant foul, and our reffing just needs to be better,” Clark in a lengthy opening statement on Friday. “It’s tough. Obviously the refs are in a really difficult spot. It’s one of the hardest jobs in the world, in my opinion, is to make calls. All you do is get yelled at the whole time by everybody. You’re never winning.”
That said, Clark still thinks the league needs to do a better job.
“The league’s just got to do better protecting our players in that regard. I don’t really think that it was up for debate. Obviously it wasn’t called in real time. You go back and watch the clip, I think it’s pretty straightforward. It’s kind of been a discussion for 3 years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league.
Clark called for more accountability, but also for more investment in the officials.
“Obviously I’ve been involved in a few of those plays, but there’s been plenty others across the league that haven’t got called. Go back and postgame or whatever it is, teams submit clips, nothing really changes. So I think overall the league just has to do better and we have to invest in those areas. The technology can get better. We can treat the referees a little bit better. Pay them like they’re full-time employees.”
‘None of that is okay’
As for the hate that Thomas received as a result of the play, Clark condemned that, as well.
In the aftermath of her suspension, Thomas said that she has even received death threats for what she said was an accident, calling the reaction from fans and media “unacceptable.”
“It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball,” Thomas said via ESPN. “A lot of us — myself included — didn’t even know the play took place until after the game. Now we’re being painted as thugs. There’s death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league, and I’m just really sick and tired of it.”
Clark spoke out against that hate on Friday, as well.
“As I’ve stood up here and said before, like the harassment, the hate, none of that is okay. That goes for the opposing team we play. That goes for my teammates. That goes for my coaches. There should never be a question of character. Like, I’ve always stood up here and said that, and that’s truly what I believe. That’s how I was raised,” she said.
The Fever return to the court on Sunday when they travel to Vegas to take on the Las Vegas Aces. Clark, however, says that she will remain sidelined with an injury.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.