Olympians speak out against WNBA for handling of Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark was infamously near disconnected the past U.S. Olympic women's hoops squad successful Paris successful 2024.

Two years later, the contention surrounding the WNBA's handling of Clark has reached galore corners of the sports world, and caught the attraction of Olympians from aggregate countries.

After weeks of controversy, ignited by a punch to Clark's pharynx by different subordinate and has since featured Clark screaming successful the look of referees connected Wednesday night, 8 Olympians crossed 3 countries person travel guardant to Fox News Digital to talk retired against the WNBA successful defence of Clark.

Nancy Hogshead, three-time Olympic golden medalist swimmer for the U.S.

Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead Makar is photographed successful Jacksonville, Fla., connected Aug. 28, 2022. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

"The WNBA needs the courageousness to enactment decisively for jock safety. Caitlin Clark is simply a generational superstar, but she deserves the aforesaid extortion arsenic each player," Hogshead told Fox News Digital.

"The WNBA cannot proceed to let immoderate unsafe behaviour to spell unchecked. A fist pressed against a player's pharynx is ne'er 'just portion of the game.' It's wildly unacceptable. WNBA: Enforce your rules, clasp offenders accountable, and enactment jock information first."

Anthony Watson, archetypal Olympian to correspond Jamaica successful skeleton

Jamaica's Anthony Watson looks connected aft finishing the men's skeleton vigor 3 tally during the Winter Olympic Games connected Feb. 16, 2018, successful Pyeongchang. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP)

"As an Olympian, I’ve ever believed sports has ne'er been astir what you look similar oregon wherever you travel from. It’s ever been uncovering the reply to the 1 pressing question: tin the champion enactment connected top, oregon tin the adjacent contender emergence up and instrumentality their place? The athletes who hole the hardest, execute erstwhile the unit is the hardest, and present successful the biggest moments are the ones who gain respect. Caitlin Clark has done precisely that. Yet alternatively of celebrating her elite competition, excessively overmuch of the speech has shifted to who she is alternatively than what she’s accomplished," Watson told Fox News Digital.

"She has faced repeated hard fouls and relentless criticism, that if roles were reversed radical would present usage contention arsenic an excuse and the league always looks similar it’s reacting alternatively of leading.The world is that Caitlin Clark brought unprecedented attraction backmost to the WNBA.

"The league had passionate fans earlier she arrived, but her interaction expanded the assemblage successful a mode that’s hard to ignore. That’s what transcendent athletes bash for their generation, they elevate the sport. Every epoch has idiosyncratic consenting to propulsion the modular higher, and that’s however sports grow.

"Her bequest is already taking shape. The situation present isn’t proving if she belongs due to the fact that she has already shown that. It’s continuing to execute astatine an elite level portion the league does its portion to support its players and fto the competition, not the controversy, beryllium the header story.

Donna de Varona, two-time Olympic golden medalist swimmer for the U.S.

President Ronald Reagan with Donna de Varona arsenic they code the Women's Sports Foundation. (Getty Images)

"For those of america pioneers who had nary assemblage oregon nonrecreational sports opportunities and person worked tirelessly to elevate each women successful sports, the maltreatment behaviour directed astatine Caitlin Clark is disrespectful and shortsighted. A talented performer successful immoderate athletics lifts up everyone. Players who bash not recognize this are undermining the WNBA," de Varona told Fox News Digital.

Katie Uhlaender, U.S. skeleton athlete, five-time Olympian

"I privation to spot the integrity of the rules upheld consistently, truthful should the WNBA," Katie Uhlaender told Fox News Digital. ( )

"Holy Cow! That’s what I thought erstwhile seeing a fist connected Caitlin’s throat. Then to perceive Sophie [Cunningham] accidental she feels they are targeting her? What’s being done astir this?" Uhlaender told Fox News Digital.

"Safety is not a governmental issue. All players merit just play, safety, and sports are astatine their champion erstwhile the absorption is connected the game, not connected whether the integrity of the officials are up to standard. If athletes are questioning the officials, what is the WNBA doing to code that? I privation to spot the integrity of the rules upheld consistently, truthful should the WNBA."

Steffen Gebhardt, Olympian and satellite champion for Germany successful modern pentathlon

Steffen Gebhardt of Germany rides Vito during modern pentathlon riding astatine the Olympic Summer Games successful London. (Sampics/Corbis via Getty Images)

"The extremity of each functional sports league should beryllium to beforehand the athletics and the athletes successful the sport. The extremity of each of the athletes successful the league should beryllium to showcase their athleticism to the fans. When the nationalist absorption of the league becomes peripheral play having thing to bash with the cardinal sport, the league volition ever suffer," Gebhardt told Fox News Digital.

Eli Bremer, U.S. modern pentathlete astatine Beijing 2008

Eli Bremer of the United States celebrates successful the men's modern pentathlon fencing epee 1 interaction astatine the Olympic Games connected Aug. 21, 2008, successful Beijing, China. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

"The WNBA ne'er misses an accidental to miss an opportunity. Having spent years falling each implicit themselves seemingly trying to physique a societal question alternatively than an existent sports league, they are present botching a erstwhile successful a procreation accidental with an jock similar Caitlin Clark," Bremer told Fox News Digital.

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"If the WNBA wants to go a genuinely applicable sports league that offers women a high-paid nonrecreational opportunity, they volition request to wide retired the petty play and absorption connected gathering a world-class sporting cognition that supports their prima athletes."

Inga Thompson, U.S. women's cyclist, three-time Olympian

"I noticed that aft the missive was sent by members of Congress, quality media called retired the 11th champion subordinate ballot by chap players, disapproval of the officiating. The past crippled changed from gutter/thug shot to nonrecreational ball. I anticipation Caitlin is yet going to beryllium recognized arsenic a passionate jock and a generational player. Celebrate her, her awesome teammates, and the WNBA. All should thrive, alternatively of this ripping isolated everything to its demise," Thompson told Fox News Digital.

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Carrie Englert Zimmerman, U.S. women's gymnast astatine Montreal 1976

"The WNBA has not been assertive capable successful protecting Caitlin Clark. Every subordinate successful the league deserves the aforesaid safeguards erstwhile they measurement connected the court. The WNBA’s work is to enforce its rules consistently and marque it wide that endowment should beryllium challenged by large basketball, not by unchecked inexpensive shots," Zimmerman told Fox News Digital.