Caitlin Clark has transformed the economic trajectory of women’s basketball, drawing millions of new eyes to the WNBA, whether in packed arenas or record-breaking television ratings.
Yet, the Iowa phenom’s transition to the pros has been anything but smooth sailing.
As physical plays and online narratives reach a fever pitch, the league faces intense scrutiny over player safety and officiating consistency. Congressman Zach Nunn has stepped in to press the league to improve its handling of on-court contact and off-court harassment.
Congressman Zach Nunn Demands Answers From WNBA Regarding Caitlin Clark’s Safety
During a recent appearance on Tiffany Meier Tonight, U.S. Congressman Zach Nunn discussed the formal letter sent to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, co-signed by 10 other Republican lawmakers.
The letter, led by Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Rep. August Pfluger, addressed the online harassment and the excessive, targeted physical play against Caitlin Clark and expressed concern about the superstar’s safety.
“My daughters love watching the Caitlin story, and they love seeing the other players and seeing the team come together,” Nunn said. “But they also feel affronted when they watch a player like Caitlin get violently fouled, repeatedly, when they see her gouged in the eye or punched in the throat. This isn’t something that Americans should want or that the league should allow.”
My daughters love watching Caitlin Clark play. But when they watch her get gouged in the eye and punched in the throat and no whistle blows, the message the league sends every girl watching is that “this is just how it goes.”
The league has done incredibly well off Caitlin. It’s… pic.twitter.com/lWck5Psj0m
— Congressman Zach Nunn (@ZachNunn) July 10, 2026
The congressional push arrives amid unprecedented financial growth for both the Indiana franchise and the broader league. The WNBA is valued at over $5 billion, with an average team estimated at $427 million, a 59% hike from 2025.
Since drafting Clark as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Sportico reported that the Indiana Fever’s valuation has skyrocketed by 522%, jumping from $90 million in 2024 to $560 million in 2026.
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With this sixfold boost, the Fever is now the WNBA’s third most valuable team, trailing only the expansion Golden State Valkyries and the New York Liberty, a true example of the “Clark Effect.”
In 2026, the league expanded to 15 teams with the introduction of the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire, showcasing its exponential growth. This season also marked the beginning of an historic 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime, and NBC, which the WNBA signed in July 2024.
Nunn argues that this financial boom should be matched by enhanced security for the players, who are the central force driving such landmark deals.
“Caitlin herself has highlighted that the league has to change…The league has made billions of dollars off of Caitlin. They’ve done a great job franchising her…but a pretty poor job protecting her and other players,” Nunn continued.
“And this alone, we have seen Caitlin have five hard fouls called after the fact, three of those after the game was already over. This has got to change, and the league needs to do better.”
The lawmakers have issued a July 24, 2026, deadline for Commissioner Engelbert, demanding answers.
