Adam Silver calls Caitlin Clark a ‘political football,’ sidesteps suspension report
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not mince words Thursday when asked about the now-infamous play between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.
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“Ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating,” Silver said while speaking on a panel at the CNBC/Boardroom Game Plan event Thursday night.
“That particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review. I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her.”
The play Silver referenced occurred during a game between the Fever and the Mercury on June 24. In the second quarter of the Mercury’s 111-109 win over the Fever, Thomas pushed a closed fist into Clark’s neck as Thomas attempted to stand up during a loose-ball play. The Fever appealed the play, and after reviewing it, the WNBA retroactively issued Thomas a flagrant 2 and announced a one-game suspension.
The Sports Business Journal reported that Silver pushed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to issue the suspension. Silver did not refute the accuracy of the report when pressed about it onstage, but instead said he would not comment because he didn’t think it was fair to Clark or Engelbert.
“What people are trying to make a larger issue (about) is not (whether) that was a flagrant foul or not,” Silver said.
Thomas said she was made aware of her suspension roughly 10 minutes before the news was shared on social media. She said death threats, as well as a myriad of harassment and racial slurs, were sent to her and her family in the aftermath of that game.
Officiating has been a pain point for the WNBA for years, but it’s reached heightened levels since Clark entered the league in 2024. The level of physicality was such an issue that some coaches wondered if a directive had come down from WNBA leadership to allow for more physicality.
Silver acknowledged plainly that there’s “no doubt” the league needs to improve its officiating.
Steps were taken this offseason to do just that, including establishing a task force comprised of eight general managers and coaches. The group met during the offseason and developed a list of priorities, including calling illegal contact, enforcing the defensive three-second rule and establishing a clear line between legal and illegal contact. Long-time WNBA official Eric Brewton was also hired for a newly created advisor position.
Officiating issues have persisted this season despite these efforts.
Silver elaborated on his belief that the root of the issue is not officiating, but rather a problem of “political ping-pong” centered around Clark.
“She’s a young woman who’s trying to improve her game, focus on being the best player as she can,” Silver said. “I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about ‘one foul should have been called at the time’ or ‘should have been called a flagrant after the fact.’”
Engelbert spoke on a panel before Silver and was not asked about the league’s decision to suspend Thomas or whether Silver persuaded her to enforce disciplinary action. She was asked how the league can grow while limiting toxicity, to which she said the vitriol was “unacceptable” while commending the “good in the game.”
Silver was a key contributor to the WNBA’s origin, saying Thursday he was part of the group that wrote the original business plan for the league 30 years ago. He praised how the league has grown over the last three decades, referencing “off-the-chart valuations” and Clark, whom he credited for bringing an entirely new audience to the WNBA.
“Then it became a rising tide,” Silver said. “Because as we quickly saw, it wasn’t just Caitlin. There’s enormous talent in this league.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, WNBA
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