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In the aftermath of the flagrant foul committed against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, one significant voice was missing from the cacophony of opinions: her own. After missing time due to a back injury, Clark finally addressed the Alyssa Thomas incident Friday.
In a lengthy opening statement to the media, Clark said she agreed that Thomas' foul should have been ruled a flagrant foul. She then said the officials needed to be better before turning her attention to the league at large.
Clark added she's far from the only player who's been involved in the types of plays the league needs to get better at recognizing in the moment.
Later in the conversation, Clark gave a few examples of how the WNBA could improve that situation, saying technology could be improved, and the refs could be paid "like they are full-time employees."
She then spoke out against harassment and hate that players face from fans. Clark did not mention Thomas by name when making this point, though she was almost certainly referencing reports that Thomas received death threats following her foul on Clark.
Clark said she understood why so many sports programs discussed the play over and over again, but added that she believed the amount of coverage the play received took away from the games being played on the court.
"I feel like that's just a real disservice to our league," she added.
She then put the onus on the players and the media to shift the conversation and focus on the joy the game can bring.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to Clark's availability following her back injury. She said she'll miss Sunday's game but should be back during the team's back-to-backs on Wednesday or Thursday.
Clark was injured during a contest vs. the Mercury, though it wasn't due to Thomas' foul. After that play, Clark was forced to leave the contest with a back injury. She missed Friday's game as a result of the issue.
Thomas, meanwhile, was issued a one-game suspension for her actions. That decision wasn't received well by Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts, who called it "extremely disappointing."
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In a lengthy opening statement to the media, Clark said she agreed that Thomas' foul should have been ruled a flagrant foul. She then said the officials needed to be better before turning her attention to the league at large.
Clark added she's far from the only player who's been involved in the types of plays the league needs to get better at recognizing in the moment.
Later in the conversation, Clark gave a few examples of how the WNBA could improve that situation, saying technology could be improved, and the refs could be paid "like they are full-time employees."
She then spoke out against harassment and hate that players face from fans. Clark did not mention Thomas by name when making this point, though she was almost certainly referencing reports that Thomas received death threats following her foul on Clark.
Clark said she understood why so many sports programs discussed the play over and over again, but added that she believed the amount of coverage the play received took away from the games being played on the court.
"I feel like that's just a real disservice to our league," she added.
She then put the onus on the players and the media to shift the conversation and focus on the joy the game can bring.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to Clark's availability following her back injury. She said she'll miss Sunday's game but should be back during the team's back-to-backs on Wednesday or Thursday.
Clark was injured during a contest vs. the Mercury, though it wasn't due to Thomas' foul. After that play, Clark was forced to leave the contest with a back injury. She missed Friday's game as a result of the issue.
Thomas, meanwhile, was issued a one-game suspension for her actions. That decision wasn't received well by Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts, who called it "extremely disappointing."
Continue reading...
