The NBA playoffs have been ongoing for nearly two months, with the finals starting just last night. Despite this, the WNBA and Caitlin Clark have been at the forefront of the news for the past few weeks. The spotlight has been on how Clark is being treated both on and off the court. Although she made her professional debut with the Indiana Fever less than a month ago, the ongoing narrative has even exhausted WNBA players who were initially eager for more attention to the league.
Members of the Chicago Sky team reported that on Wednesday, June 5, they were harassed by the media following Chennedy Carter’s hip check on Clark during their June 1 matchup. The entire league, including Clark, has been inundated with questions about the game’s physicality and how other teams are defending against her. Despite the controversy, it is clear that the WNBA is expanding, a point that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized during a news conference before the NBA finals on Thursday.
NBA’S SILVER: CLARK CONTROVERSY ‘HEALTHY’ FOR THE WNBA
“I think ultimately, this is very healthy for women’s basketball and the WNBA,” Silver stated. “It’s generating tremendous additional interest.” According to Silver, Clark’s entry has accelerated the growth projected by NBA and WNBA executives since the league’s inception in 1997. He acknowledged, “In fairness to the other players and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, this didn’t just start this year. Certainly, we’re seeing acceleration with Caitlin, but many individual stars have emerged in this league over the last several years.”
“In some ways, this was a long time coming. If you look back at our original business plan from 28 years ago, we didn’t anticipate it would take this long to achieve the popularity we’re seeing now,” Silver remarked. The NBA and WNBA operate closely together, with NBA owners holding about half of the equity in the WNBA. Several WNBA teams, including the Phoenix Mercury, Washington Mystics, and New York Liberty, are owned by the same NBA owners who also have teams playing in the same arenas.
NBA’S SILVER NOTES ‘WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE’ MOMENTS FOR CLARK
Regarding the treatment of Clark and the tough physical approach teams have taken against her, Silver maintained a balanced perspective.
“As a fan, it’s nothing new in basketball to have ‘Welcome to the League’ moments, especially for highly anticipated rookies,” Silver remarked. “However, I want to see Caitlin treated fairly and appropriately in the league. She seems capable of taking care of herself—she’s a tough player.” He emphasized that a strong physical game can foster rivalries, which could benefit the sport in the long run. “I don’t want to make too big of an issue about one particular player or one specific call,” Silver added. “But I think the emerging rivalries in professional basketball can ultimately be good for the sport.”
NBA’S SILVER ADDRESSES RACE AS AN ISSUE IN CLARK CONTROVERSY
One aspect of the narrative surrounding Clark in the WNBA is the suggestion by some observers that her race has influenced how she is treated by the media and fans.