Whether you follow the WNBA closely or not, Caitlin Clark has become bigger than basketball. She’s an icon, not just for how she can score from anywhere on the basketball court, but also for how she’s bringing so many more eyeballs to women’s sports.
The mayhem began in college, when Clark’s limitless range became must-see TV at Iowa. Now graduating to the WNBA, where she stars for the Indiana Fever, the discussion surrounding Clark hasn’t dissipated; it’s multiplied.
Robert Griffin III Sounds Off on Caitlin Clark Drama
Some suggest the WNBA is partially to blame, almost as if they’re allowing the drama to happen. Others feel like they’re dropping the ball by not essentially placing Clark on a pedestal, much like the NFL does to protect quarterbacks, the most expensive position in football.
One recent incident that came to light involved Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas striking Clark in the throat with her fist. Thomas was suspended one game for the infraction after the game. Yet, the violent act went ignored as a no-call during the game. Naturally, that infuriated fans and defenders of Clark.
Cheap shots have become common, perhaps more so when they involve Clark being on the ugly end of the stick. Yet the latest run-in with Thomas has observers becoming more vocal about how Clark is officiated on the court.
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Recently, former NFL Pro Bowl QB Robert Griffin III used his platform on X to go off on the WNBA for its response to the Clark discourse thus far. He says it’s “sad to see” that the WNBA has “completely mismanaged its biggest star.”
“The facts today still show that far too many people are making things in the WNBA about race or sexuality and not the results,” Griffin said. “Caitlin Clark and every WNBA player wants to compete at the highest level. They don’t want to be involved in identity politics or race wars. They just want to play basketball.
“Right & wrong has no color. Clark is a phenom, the WNBA has been wrong at so many turns with how they have handled her and the WNBA needs to improve its officiating. Don’t pick sides based on the color of a player’s skin or their sexuality. Let’s just talk basketball.”
Sports have always brought people of all colors, shapes, and sizes together. As RG3 put it, “everything doesn’t have to be a race war.”
Can’t we just all enjoy the game and embrace the talent of everyone involved, no matter what an athlete looks like?