• NBA commissioner: Issues aren’t largely about officiating

• Flagrant foul incident in June sparked criticism

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Conversations about WNBA officiating and Caitlin Clark have now expanded to include NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver said Thursday that Clark has become a “political football” amid debates about officiating and physical play in the WNBA, spurred by a recent play involving the star guard and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.

• Clark has been on the end of hard fouls during career

• Black players routinely receive racist abuse in WNBA

Eleven Republican politicians have written to the WNBA asking the league to protect Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark from “multiple attacks” on court.

Clark has been on the receiving end of hard fouls since she entered the league in 2024 after a stellar college career with Iowa. Recently, the Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game. Thomas was not called for a foul at the time but the WNBA later suspended her for one game. Thomas and her family received racist abuse and death threats after the incident.