NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said Caitlin Clark is one of the reasons, if not the primary reason, for the resurgence of modern women’s basketball.
However, Silver believes the WNBA should have taken the infamous incident between Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas seriously because the league failed to protect its players, and the situation escalated to epic proportions.
Adam Silver Speaks Out on Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas Incident
Speaking at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit on Thursday, Silver was asked to comment on Thomas’ controversial throat-strike against Clark, and he emphasized that the incident involving the Indiana Fever star was more than a matter of officiating.
The NBA commissioner said the issue has made Clark “a bit of a political football,” despite her best efforts to lead improvements in women’s basketball not only in the country but also worldwide.
“That particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review,” Silver said. “I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her.”
Silver warned that the incident in the second quarter of the Fever-Mercury clash on June 24 has become a “separate storyline.” This has prompted the basketball community to debate whether the foul should have been called on Thomas during the loose-ball altercation or whether the officials should have called a flagrant foul after the contact.
“I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about ‘one foul should have been called at the time’ or ‘should have been called a flagrant after the fact,'” Silver said.
Silver, who disclosed that he had helped write the WNBA’s original business plan 30 years ago, said the league must improve its officiating to prevent similar issues in the future.
Despite the creation of a group that imposed new rules, including calling illegal contact, enforcing the defensive three-second rule, and establishing a clear line between legal and illegal contact to help the league improve, issues with officiating have persisted.
Meanwhile, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was also present at the event and spoke on a panel before Silver. The discussion focused on how the WNBA can advance its vision while limiting toxicity.
She also discussed the league’s initiatives to address online harassment against players, including its use of AI technology to address threats, harassment, and hate.
Three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi and Kristyn Cook, State Farm’s executive vice president and chief agency sales and marketing officer, also participated in the panel discussion alongside Engelbert.
