Caitlin Clark came to the defense of Alyssa Thomas after the Phoenix Mercury forward received death threats and was called racial slurs for making contact to the All-Star guard's throat during a June 24 matchup against the Indiana Fever.
"The harassment, the hate - none of that is okay," Clark told reporters Friday, including Tony East of The IX Sports. "That goes for the opposing team we play. That goes for my teammates. That goes for my coaches.
"There should never be a question of character. I've always stood up here and said that, and that's truly what I believe. That's how I was raised. So, none of that is okay, and I don't want anybody to ever experience that."
Clark also expressed frustration with the WNBA's officiating after a flagrant foul wasn't called on Thomas during their scramble for a loose ball.
The Fever star recognized the difficulties of the referees' job. She called on the league to invest in better technology and lobbied for increased wages for officials.
"Our reffing just needs to be better," Clark said.
She added, "It's kind of been a discussion for like three years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league. Obviously, I've been involved in a few of those plays, but there's been plenty of others across the league that haven't got called."
Clark missed Indiana's most recent contest with a back injury and confirmed that she'll be sidelined for Sunday's showdown against the Las Vegas Aces as well.
The Iowa product was recently named a starter for the 2026 All-Star Game in Chicago.
Clark ranks fifth in the league's scoring race (21.2 points per game) and second in assists (8.2) across 17 appearances this season.
