NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on the eventful first weeks of Kaitlyn Clark's WNBA career, saying the ongoing news about the Indiana Fever star has “sparked significant additional interest” in the women's league.
According to CNN and The Athletic, Silver was asked to comment on the situation between Clark, 22, and Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter, in which a flagrant foul by Carter, 25, sparked days of debate about whether the WNBA should have done more to protect Clark or whether people were being overly sensitive.
“Just as a fan, it's not uncommon in basketball to have that 'welcome to the league' moment, especially for a high-profile rookie, but of course I want Kaitlyn to be treated fairly and appropriately in the league,” Silver, 62, told reporters before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 6.
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The commissioner called Clark a “tough player” and said he “seems like he can handle himself on the court.”
“I think that a little bit of controversy in the WNBA might prevent some newcomers to basketball from realizing just how great a talent she is. Two-time Final Four appearances, college basketball's all-time leading scorer. I'm excited to watch her grow in the league,” Silver continued, according to the media outlet.
“Ultimately, I think this is a very healthy thing for women's basketball and the WNBA,” she added, noting that the ongoing coverage of Clark, including analyst Pat McAfee's recent apology to Clark and Sky players' allegations that the incident with Carter amounted to harassment, has “generated even more significant attention” on the league.
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Silver concluded her response by acknowledging that the WNBA talk had begun even before Clark entered the draft.
“In fairness to the other players and the commissioner, [Cathy] “Engelbert, this isn't something that just started this year,” Silver said. “You're seeing it accelerate, not just with Caitlin, but with a lot of the stars that have come into this league over the last few years.”
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On Sunday, June 2, the league upgraded Carter's foul on Clark in a game against the Sky Fever from a regular foul to a flagrant violation 1.
“I'm not going to answer any questions about Caitlin Clark,” Carter told reporters after the game, as seen in a video shared by Fever reporter Matthew Byrne.
Carter criticized Clark's style of play in a response to the thread. Reacting to a video of herself at a press conference, Carter wrote, “And for that matter, what does she bring to the team other than her three-point shooting?”
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