Caitlin Clark Has Become a ‘Political Football,’ Says Adam Silver

All Caitlin Clark wanted to do this season was to play basketball. Last year, she could not fulfill her goals due to injury, which is why she started her season strong, showing that she was motivated to have a career year.

That desire saw her break a few records along the way, and she was going to break one more during the game against the Phoenix Mercury on June 24th. She left the game before she could break it as she aggravated her back injury.

Her head coach was furious with the officiating after the game because the Fever should have been awarded a landing space foul. However, what dominated the conversations around that game was the fist-to-throat incident a while earlier.

Fans were furious after Alyssa Thomas connected with Caitlin Clark’s throat and demanded that the Mercury playmaker be punished. The league relented and handed her a 1-game suspension.

But that did not help matters, as fans flamed the WNBA for not handing a longer punishment. Soon, that narrative turned for the worse when a congressional group sent a letter to Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding that the league protect Clark, or else face a federal investigation.

She’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her.

Adam Silver said

NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not refute SBJs report that he pushed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas.

“That’s not the real issue here…” https://t.co/KiQ5gFF6f8

— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) July 16, 2026

The Athletic’s Annie Costabile quoted the NBA commissioner as suggesting that Clark was being unfairly used as a medium for political narratives, even though she has no part in it. His words hinted at the divisive discourse that has since engulfed the WNBA.

Adam Silver expands on his Caitlin Clark opinion

Adam Silver knew all too well what he was talking about when speaking at the CNBC/Boardroom Game Plan event in New York. He then elaborated on his views on the entire discourse surrounding Caitlin Clark.

She’s a young woman who’s trying to improve her game, focus on being the best player as she can. 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.’

Annie Costabile quoted Silver

The 64-year-old ventured into the narratives about the officiating mistakes during and after that game against the Phoenix Mercury. He believes the discourse has shifted from Clark’s basketball ability to something else.

Fans have continued to harp on those narratives, with some taking the Iowa native’s side, or, like others, who do not appreciate her. Either way, these opinions have caused a divide that could hamper the WNBA.

Adam Silver does not deny asking Cathy Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas

During this conversation about Caitlin Clark and the various narratives, the host of this discussion asked Adam Silver whether he had intervened and asked WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas.

I’m not going to comment on that, because I don’t think it’s fair to Caitlin — and to Cathy Engelbert either. I think that’s not the real issue here.

SBJ quoted Silver

The NBA commissioner went on to talk about the officiating and how he felt the WNBA was right on its part to review the play and assess the Flagrant 2 and the 1-game suspension afterward.

That meant that he did not deny intervening and asking Engelbert to hand out the suspension, but chose not to explain himself. After all, this incident has also cast a negative shadow on the WNBA, as fans now believe that its commissioner does not have an interest in protecting its most popular player.

Also Read:

• WNBA Players Voting Caitlin Clark 11th-Best Guard Draws Candace Parker’s Ire: “Y’all Need to Go to a Therapist”
• Skylar Diggins Goes OFF on Chicago Sky After Being Benched: “I’ve Been So Good and Quiet”