Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has spoken out about the intensity of the discourse surrounding her and the team, calling for improved player safety and a more focused discussion on the game itself. Clark's comments come after she was hit in the throat by Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas on June 24, an incident that resulted in Thomas's suspension.
Clark, who was unavailable for comment immediately following the incident, addressed reporters Friday, expressing frustration with how the media and fans scrutinize every detail of her and the Fever's season. "I don’t remember who wrote this … and it was like, the headline read like, ‘This season has been everything but fun and just full of frustration for Clark and the Fever,’" Clark said in an opening statement. "And I’m like, no one ever asked me that. Like, that’s wrong. Like, discuss my play, discuss if I played bad, discuss if I played good, discuss our play. And at times I understand there’s other things that need to be talked about, great, whatever, but let’s continue to move on."
Regarding the play involving Thomas, Clark stated she believed it was a flagrant foul and emphasized the need for better officiating and player protection within the league. "I did think it was a flagrant foul and our refereeing just needs to be better," Clark said. "And, you know, it’s tough. Obviously, the refs are in a really difficult spot. … I think for us, as the league, we’ve just got to do better protecting our players, in that regard. I don’t really think that it was up for debate. Obviously, it wasn’t called in real-time, I think it’s pretty straightforward, and it’s kind of been a discussion for like three years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league."
Clark suggested that the WNBA could improve player safety by investing in better technology and offering referees full-time employment with competitive pay. She also addressed the ongoing speculation that opposing players are targeting her. "As I’ve stood up here and said before, like, the harassment, the hate — none of that is okay," Clark said. "That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches. There should never be a question of character."
Clark acknowledged the immense pressure and emotional toll of navigating her high-profile entry into the league. "I think a lot of people sometimes think I’m a robot,” she said. “I’m not a robot. I have emotions, I have feelings, and it can be really difficult to go through a lot of that. And I’m 24 years old trying to navigate a lot. I’ve been in this world for four years now and you would never change any of it, but there are times that it is hard and there are times that it probably affects me a little bit more than I do put on. I would never change any of that for the world, but I think it’s important that people do remember that part of it, too."