GOP lawmakers demand accountability from WNBA after Caitlin Clark ‘attack’

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GOP lawmakers demand accountability from WNBA after Caitlin Clark ‘attack’

Talk about WNBA star Caitlin Clark and her incident with Alyssa Thomas has reached Washington, DC

A group of Republican lawmakers – led by Texas President August Pfluger – wrote to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert this week “pressing for greater accountability following repeated acts of physical violence” against Clark.

In the letter, signed by 11 members of the Republican Study Committee, Pfluger writes that “Clark has been groped, eye poked, and throat punched during games. These incidents go beyond normal physical play, but the WNBA and its management have repeatedly failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”

The Texas Congressman went on to add that if Engelbert and the WNBA do not act to protect the Indiana Fever guard, action from the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could follow.

“I am warning the league that if they continue to allow violence against the slide, they could find themselves facing harassment from the DOJ and EEOC for violating federal civil rights law,” Pfluger tweeted.

Adding their signatures to the letter were Indiana Reps. Erin Houchin, Marlin Stutzman and Victoria Spartz, Tennessee Reps. Diana Harshbarger, Tim Burchett and John Rose, Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, Missouri Rep. Mark Alford, Texas Rep. Pete Sessions and South Carolina Rep. Sherry Biggs.

“Caitlin Clark has transformed women’s basketball and inspired a new generation, while being widely respected for her lack of accountability,” Alford said in a statement. “That’s not competition, that’s failure. Protect your players, enforce your rules, or don’t be surprised when it raises serious civil rights questions.”

More: Caitlin Clark talks scrutiny, hate and WNBA controversy: ‘I’m not a robot’

When reached for further comment by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, Pfluger said: “The question we’re asking is simple: is the WNBA going to protect its players or not?

In a statement to the Indianapolis Star, Fever said neither the organization nor Clark spoke to anyone within the Republican Study Committee and they were not aware of the letter.

“We have clarified our comments to the public and ongoing discussions with the league regarding the priority of player safety,” said Fever.

The WNBA pushed into this spotlight on June 24 when, during the Fever’s 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Alyssa Thomas came at Clark, pushed her fist into Clark’s throat, then ran over him in the middle of claiming a loose ball. No foul play was called during the incident, but the WNBA took it to Flagrant 2 the following day and suspended Thomas from the game, saying the veteran forward “disrespectfully” contacted Clark and “engaged in an unsportsmanlike act.”

In the days that followed, Thomas said he received death threats after the incident and said Engelbert never contacted him. Engelbert then issued a statement saying the unit “strongly condemns all forms of hate speech.”

Politicians and the media took turns investigating the incident. President Donald Trump even mentioned it, saying Clark was “mistreated.”

Clark said last week that he was ready to end the discussion about his incident with Thomas.

“Discuss my game. Discuss whether I played badly, discuss whether I played well,” said Clark. “I tend to understand that there are other things that need to be talked about. It’s fine, whatever, but let’s move on. I think we should focus on the fun and the amazing parts of the game.”

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Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) celebrates with guard Olivia Miles (5) after a game against the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on June 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

(Kelley L Cox, Imagn Photos)