Barely a week after Alyssa Thomas called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on her silence regarding the threats she faced on social media after her foul on Caitlin Clark on June 24, the conversation has now reached Capitol Hill. Members of Congress have sent a formal letter to Engelbert calling for action over what they described as repeated physical hostility directed at the Indiana Fever star. Meanwhile, the Fever have clarified they did not know about the letter.
“Our organization nor Caitlin have had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group, and we were unaware of their letter,” Indiana Fever said in their statement as shared by reporter Chloe Peterson.
“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.”
The congressional letter was signed by 11 members of Congress, spearheaded by U.S. Representative August Pfluger of Texas. It specifically pointed out that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark repeatedly faced excessive on-court physicality. It even cited incidents of hip-checking, eye-poking, and the fist-to-throat foul.
The letter’s core contention was that the league has not done enough to hold players accountable or adequately protect its stars, Clark in particular. It also raised concern that some of the hostility directed at Clark may be rooted in discrimination, and urged Commissioner Engelbert to create a safe and professional environment.
“It is imperative that the WNBA take meaningful action to address this issue. The league has an extraordinary opportunity to inspire the next generation of female athletes to pursue athletics, but that opportunity is undermined when its brightest stars are not adequately protected. Your fans deserve better, and so do the young girls who look to the WNBA as a model for excellence, sportsmanship, and opportunity,” the letter concluded.
The league had earlier publicly addressed the Alyssa Thomas-Caitlin Clark incident only after Thomas found herself on the receiving end of threats and harassment on social media. The W or Cathy Engelbert hasn’t released an official response to the letter, and whether they’ll act on this letter remains to be seen.