Stephanie White declines to address GOP letter on Caitlin Clark's WNBA treatment
The WNBA commissioner, Engelbert, and the league have until July 24 to submit replies
Published July 10, 2026
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has dodged a question about WNBA trailblazer Caitlin Clark during a press conference on July 9, sparking backlash from fans.
A reporter from OutKick, a U.S.-based sports portal, questioned White about her reaction to the letter sent by 11 Republican members of Congress to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
White’s response during press conference before Thursday night’s match against Phoenix Mercury left many surprised.
The letter addressed the concerns about “physical hostility” and “violence” that Clark faces and described them as possibly being “racially motivated.”
She said, “Our team made a statement yesterday so you can find that statement.”
When the reporter pressed White for her reaction to the letter sent, she again chose to dodge the question.
“Again, that’s not something we can control.
“We’re not affiliated with those groups. We try to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on the things we can control," said White
For context, The Fever issued a statement on Wednesday, July 8, stating, “Our organization nor Caitlin has had any interaction with anyone in this congressional group and we were unaware of their letter.”
The letter sent by 11 Republican Congress members sought answers to these three questions:
A) The WNBA’s review process for “physical hostility and violence on the court.
B) How the league holds players accountable for overly aggressive acts on the court,
C) And what measures the league is taking to protect players from online harassment.
The WNBA commissioner, Engelbert, and the league have until July 24 to submit replies.
Alyssa Thomas, a Phoenix Mercury forward made contact with her fist with WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark’s throat during a game between the teams in Indianapolis.
But what sparked concerns among fans was no foul was called before; until the league reviewed the play the next day, Thomas was charged with a flagrant foul 2 with a one game suspension.
