Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White declined to directly address a letter sent by 11 Republican members of Congress to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert concerning the treatment of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
When asked by OutKick for her reaction to the letter, which cited concerns over "physical hostility" and "violence" directed at Clark and suggested potential racial motivations, White stated that the team's focus remains on controllable factors. "Again, that's not something we can control," White said, redirecting to the team's official statement. "We try to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on the things we can control."
The Indiana Fever organization issued a statement Wednesday clarifying that neither the team nor Clark had any interaction with the congressional group and were unaware of the letter. The statement emphasized the organization's commitment to player safety and its ongoing dialogue with the league on the matter. "Our players and our fans know where we stand on those issues, and we will continue to stick up for our team and a standard of excellence across the league," the statement read.
The congressional letter highlighted several on-court incidents involving Clark, stating, "Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable."
Clark was subsequently ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Mercury, despite having played 16 minutes the previous night against the Los Angeles Sparks and reporting feeling well. White had previously indicated that Clark and teammate Aliyah Boston would split playing time in the back-to-back games, with Clark active against Los Angeles and Boston active against Phoenix.
One notable incident occurred on June 24, when Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas drove her fist into Clark's throat area during a scramble for a loose ball. A foul was not initially called, but a postgame review by the WNBA resulted in Thomas receiving a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension.
While Clark did not play against the Mercury on Thursday, the team's decision to sit her was framed by White as part of the player rotation plan for back-to-back games, though she had previously described the Mercury as having delivered "two cheap shots" against Clark. The Fever organization's statement also noted their commitment to upholding standards across the league.