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The criticism of WNBA officiating has now reached Capitol Hill.
Just days after Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark publicly called on the league to do a better job protecting its players, a group of Republican lawmakers is demanding answers from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
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In a letter led by Rep. August Pfluger, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and co-signed by a dozen members of Congress — including lawmakers from Indiana — the group argued that the WNBA has failed to adequately protect its biggest star from repeated unnecessary physical play.
"Caitlin Clark is transforming women's sports," the letter began. "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 lawmakers also point to Clark's impact on the league's popularity.
"She is also the face of your league," they wrote. "Clark has significantly increased fan interest, driven record television ratings, and attracted new corporate sponsors for the WNBA."
From there, though, the letter turns sharply toward the league's handling of on-court physicality.
"Unfortunately, what they too often witness is not simply aggressive competition, but repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence," the lawmakers wrote.
The letter specifically referenced several incidents involving Clark.
"Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games," it stated. "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."
The "struck in the throat" reference stemmed from Clark's June 24 game against the Phoenix Mercury, when officials reviewed contact from Alyssa Thomas during a loose-ball scramble but declined to assess a flagrant foul. Days later, the league upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.
Clark later said she believed officials missed the call in real time.
"I did think it was a flagrant foul," Clark said.
She added: "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."
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The congressional letter went a step further, arguing Engelbert has a responsibility to ensure every player competes "in a safe and professional environment."
"As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation," the lawmakers wrote. "If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws."
The letter concluded by urging the league to take stronger action.
"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," the letter reads. "Your fans deserve better, and so do the young girls who look to the WNBA as a model for excellence, sportsmanship, and opportunity."
The timing comes as the WNBA continues to face mounting criticism over its officiating despite an offseason overhaul intended to improve consistency and player safety. Engelbert formed a task force of coaches and executives before the season to address concerns over excessive physicality and freedom of movement.
But nearly two months into the year, coaches, players and front-office personnel around the league continue to voice frustration with inconsistent whistles, missed calls and what many believe is a lack of accountability.
Apparently, that officiating task force still has some work to do. And everyone is noticing.
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