Stephanie White, head coach of the Indiana Fever, has opted not to comment on a recent congressional letter addressing concerns about physical fouls against star player Caitlin Clark. When approached about the letter from Republican lawmakers, White maintained her focus solely on basketball and refrained from engaging in the political discussion.
“We’re not affiliated with those groups,” White stated, referring to the Republican members of Congress who authored the letter. “We try to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on the things we can control.”
Congressional Inquiry into Physical Play Targeting Caitlin Clark
The correspondence, signed by 11 Republican representatives and directed to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, demands clarification by the end of the month regarding physical play involving Clark. The letter highlights a specific incident from the June 24th matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury.
During that game, Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with Clark’s throat—a foul that went unnoticed by the officials at the time. The league later reviewed the play, upgrading the call to a Flagrant 2 foul and issuing a one-game suspension to Thomas. This disciplinary action has sparked significant backlash, with Thomas reporting that she has received death threats since the incident.
Both Stephanie White and Caitlin Clark have publicly condemned the online harassment stemming from the controversy. Meanwhile, Clark was sidelined for two games due to a back injury sustained during the same contest. She made a limited return in Mercredi’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks but did not participate in Jeudi’s rematch in Phoenix, as a precautionary measure.