Adam Silver was questioned about the Caitlin Clark foul during his pre-NBA Finals press conference on Thursday, before the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1.
Clark was hip-checked by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter on Saturday, sparking a week-long debate over the Indiana Fever rookie’s treatment.
Silver declined to discuss the specifics of the call, instead deferring to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“As a fan, obviously, it’s nothing new in basketball that there’s sort of ‘welcome to the league’ moments, especially for heralded rookies,” Silver explained to Forbes Sports. “But of course, I want to see Caitlin treated fairly and appropriately in the league.”
“She appears to be capable of caring for herself. She is a difficult player. Some individuals who are new to basketball may be unaware of her amazing talent, given the WNBA controversy: two Final Fours, highest scorer in college basketball history. I’m looking forward to watching her progress in the league.”
“I believe this is eventually beneficial to women’s basketball and the WNBA. It has sparked a significant amount of attention. To be fair to the other players and Commissioner Engelbert, it didn’t start this year. “We’re witnessing an acceleration of it with Caitlin, but many individual talents who came in this league in the previous several years…
Silver also stated that rivalries between teams and players are “ultimately, good for the sport.”
“At the same time, there are undoubtedly some broader socioeconomic factors at work. I don’t want to avoid it. Some are clearly racial in nature. I believe, however, that sports have historically provided a forum for people to directly discuss these issues. I don’t think we should try to avoid them. I think the players are eager to discuss these topics.”
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