Republican Study Committee members send letter to WNBA about Caitlin Clark

The House Republican Study Committee is pressing the WNBA to further investigate the on-court treatment of standout player Caitlin Clark.

In a letter to league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, committee Chair August Pfluger (R-Texas) called for “greater accountability” following what he and the committee called “repeated acts of physical violence” toward Clark.

“Caitlin Clark is transforming women’s sports. She has inspired a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics and has become one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s basketball,” the Republican wrote in his letter.

“Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games,” he continued. “These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”

Pfluger suggested the basketball player is facing “a hostile work environment,” which he argued could be ground for an investigation by the Department of Justice, Department of Labor or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“Discrimination of any kind has no place in women’s sports,” added Rep. Tim Burchett (Tenn.), another Republican on the committee. “The WNBA’s failure to act on these concerning incidents shows an indifference, or active disregard, for civil rights protections.”

The letter comes as Clark has faced a number of physical altercations and hard fouls on the court, ESPN noted, with one incident during a game last month standing out after she was struck in the throat, a foul that sparked outrage from fans.

President Trump made a passing reference to the Clark saga during a press conference on Monday when talking about a controversial foul call made against a member of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, which was eliminated from the World Cup later that night.

“I thought your young, wonderful basketball player … Caitlin … I thought she was treated rather rough, if you want to know the truth,” the president said. “That was a much different kind of an event. That was a pretty bad event.”