​After a congressional letter was submitted to the WNBA by a group of Republican lawmakers criticizing what they described as unfair treatment of superstar guard Caitlin Clark and pointing to other alleged concerns within the league, the Indiana Fever have denied that Clark or anyone within the organization had any role in drafting or promoting the letter. Representative August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, led a coalition of 11 lawmakers who on Wednesday voiced their concerns about the WNBA, accusing the league of “repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence” directed at Clark, along with other purported league issues. In a social media post accompanying the letter, Pfluger said, “I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women’s sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics. I’m putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could face a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law.”
The timing of the letter comes two weeks after an incident involving Alyssa Thomas, who pressed a closed fist to Clark’s neck during a game without drawing a call from officials. The referees later issued a flagrant foul and Thomas was suspended for a game after the incident circulated widely on social media. Thomas has said she has since received death threats and racist harassment, a development the WNBA condemned.
The Fever, however, state that neither Clark nor anyone connected with the franchise engaged with the lawmakers who co-signed the letter, and the team claims to have had no knowledge of the letter’s existence. “We have been clear in our public comments and in our ongoing dialogue with the league about the priority of player safety,” the Fever stated, as reported by IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson. “Our players and our fans know where we stand on those issues, and we will continue to stand up for our team and a standard of excellence across the league.”
For readers interested in the full congressional letter and Indiana’s official response, both documents are available in the accompanying material. The Fever are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday and the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, in a back-to-back road trip.
This summary reflects events as reported and mirrors the coverage originally published on For The Win, which examined the Fever’s denial of involvement in the congressional letter related to Caitlin Clark and broader concerns about safety and conduct in the WNBA.