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Caitlin Clark is getting protection from an unexpected corner.
A group of Republican lawmakers just sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding that the league do better at protecting its biggest star from on-court physical attacks.
This isn’t just some random complaint either. These are members of Congress putting the league on notice that if things don’t change, federal agencies could get involved.
The letter, led by Texas Rep. August Pfluger and signed by eleven other Republicans, including several from Indiana, lays out a clear pattern of incidents.
Clark’s been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games.
I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from @WNBA Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women’s sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics.
I’m putting the league on notice… pic.twitter.com/TPMpZ6a2Hx
— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) July 8, 2026
The lawmakers wrote that these aren’t just aggressive plays; they’re “repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence” that the WNBA has failed to address properly.
The league’s officiating has been inconsistent at best, and accountability has been basically nonexistent.
The whole thing came to a head during Clark’s June 24 game against the Phoenix Mercury when Alyssa Thomas landed on her, pushed her fist into Clark’s throat, and stepped over her during a loose-ball scramble.
No call was made in real time. The WNBA reviewed it the next day and eventually suspended Thomas for one game, but the damage was already done.
Clark herself said she thought it should’ve been flagrant from the jump.
“I did think it was a flagrant foul,” Clark said after the incident. “It’s kind of been a discussion for three years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league. I’ve been involved in a few of those plays, but there’s been plenty of others across the league that haven’t been called. You go back postgame or whatever it is, teams submit clips and nothing changes. I think overall the league has to do better.”
The lawmakers aren’t just complaining about the physical play, either. They’re raising serious legal questions.
In their letter, they suggested that if the WNBA doesn’t protect its players, the Department of Justice, Department of Labor, or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could investigate whether the league is violating federal civil rights laws.
Pfluger tweeted that he’s “putting the league on notice” that continued violence could trigger a crackdown by the DOJ and EEOC.
