Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the six-time NBA champion and the former all-time NBA scoring leader, has entered the debate over Caitlin Clark’s status within the WNBA.
For some context, a letter sent to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert by a group of Republican members of Congress, led by August Pfluger, raises concerns about the physical treatment Clark has received this season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Gets Brutally Honest About Caitlin Clark Narrative
The letter followed an incident in which Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas struck Clark in the throat during a game without being called for a foul, a play the WNBA later punished with a one-game suspension after widespread backlash.
The letter’s description of Clark as the player who drove significant revenue is what caught Abdul-Jabbar’s attention, and he did not hold back.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says calling Caitlin Clark the face of the WNBA is disrespectful to those who’ve paved the way. pic.twitter.com/qdJRyRknIo
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 15, 2026
“My first reaction to this letter was to check the calendar and make sure it wasn’t April Fools’ Day. Don’t get me wrong: Clark is a very good, possibly even a great, player. But calling any one player the face of the league, absent the sort of on-court and cross-platform dominance of a Michael Jordan or a LeBron James, is an insult to an awful lot of great players,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote on his Substack.
Abdul-Jabbar was careful to separate the question of Clark’s talent, which he acknowledged freely, from her standing in the league’s hierarchy. He clearly states that Clark is ‘possibly’ a great player, but cites James and Jordan as examples.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend believes calling Clark the face of the league would be an insult, given that she hasn’t had the same impact as Jordan or James.
Abdul-Jabbar’s criticism centered less on Clark’s ability and more on what he viewed as a dismissal of the players who have also contributed to the league’s rise. His argument is not that Clark is undeserving of attention.
There has been constant debate on Clark’s impact on and off the court in recent months. But to be fair, she has done well to shut them all out and perform on the court. The Indiana Fever superstar has been having plenty of injury troubles, but has been able to step up when needed as well.
Clark is now averaging 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. Despite missing multiple games due to injury, Clark is still second in assists averaged per game across the list. Only Alyssa Thomas (8.0 APG) beats her right now.
The Fever is currently the No. 5 seed with 14 wins and 9 losses. They recently came off a statement win against the Las Vegas Aces, beating the defending champions 109-75.
With that said, Abdul-Jabbar’s comment is surely something that may fuel Clark in the future. But it’s pretty evident that she’s on the right track for a player in just her third year. Time will tell how Clark will respond to the noise.
