June 6th 2024.
A congressman from Indiana has recently expressed his strong disapproval of Chennedy Carter's aggressive actions towards Caitlin Clark, a highly praised rookie from the Indiana Fever. According to The Athletic, Congressman Jim Banks wrote a letter to the WNBA on Tuesday, June 4th, addressing the controversial hip check that Carter delivered to Clark during a game against the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
In his letter, Banks condemned what he called a "cheap shot" and called for consequences to be imposed on Carter, the Sky team, and Carter's teammate Angel Reese, who was seen cheering on the incident. He also pointed out that since joining the league, Clark has been the target of resentment and repeated attacks from other players. As a state known for its love of basketball, Banks stated that aggressive defense is expected, but what happened was not a display of toughness, but rather a dangerous move that could have caused serious injury and should not be tolerated.
During the game, Clark spoke to ESPN about the incident, stating, "That's not a basketball play." This further highlighted the severity of Carter's actions and added fuel to the fire of the growing controversy. The Sporting News shared a video of the incident on June 1st, 2024, which showed Carter bumping into Clark for an away from the play foul.
Banks stressed the importance of protecting Clark not only because of her popularity and impact on WNBA viewership but also for the future of the league. He stated that statistics show an increase in viewership whenever Clark plays, and by failing to hold hostile players accountable and enforce their own rules of sportsmanship, the league is doing a disservice not only to Clark and the Indiana Fever but also to the millions of young girls who look up to her and dream of playing in the WNBA one day.
In his letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Banks raised important questions aimed at protecting Clark from "excessive physical targeting" and regulating players with a history of violence. He asked whether Engelbert believed that players constantly diminishing the talents of their fellow athletes is beneficial to the overall success of the league and whether it is inspiring for young female athletes to see players like Caitlin Clark targeted for their success.
Carter's initial away-from-ball foul against Clark was later upgraded to a flagrant 1. This was not the first time that Carter found herself in trouble for violent behavior. In 2021, she was suspended from the Atlanta Dream for "conduct detrimental to the team" after reportedly attempting to fight her teammate Courtney Williams. She was then traded to the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2022 season.
As the controversy surrounding Carter's actions continues to grow, it is clear that something needs to be done to protect players like Clark and maintain the integrity of the WNBA. Angel Reese, another player from the Indiana Fever, has also spoken out about the issue, setting the record straight about the frequency of fouls and the popularity of certain players. It is time for the league to take action and address the issue of excessive physical targeting in order to ensure a safe and fair playing environment for all players.
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