Basketball Hall of Fame-bound former WNBA star Candace Parker and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve condemned the physicality in the modern era after Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas’ viral incident. Thomas pressed down on Clark’s neck during Wednesday’s game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever.
The old guard of the WNBA and fans who have been watching the league since its inception think some incidents are overblown in the modern-day league. They blame the new fans who have entered the space since the likes of Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers turned pro.
Candace Parker conceded that the new fans have come in with a new perspective. However, the legendary forward is not in favor of the idea that this generation should accept the norms as they are.
“The physicality has always been there,” Parker told ESPN on Friday. “It’s just now you’re having more visibility and new fans and new opinions coming into the game. Because we went through [so much physicality], does not mean that I think that [it has to be that way].”
Meanwhile, Cheryl Reeve directly spoke about the incident between Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas, backing her counterpart and Fever coach Stephanie White, who called it “egregious” that the referees didn’t review the foul in real time. The WNBA later reviewed it, issued a Flagrant 2, and suspended Thomas for a game.
“We believe those are the acts that have led to some of the more challenging moments in our league of altercations, and that’s not what we want to be,” Reeve said. “We have a tremendous product, basketball-wise.”
Reeve and her team also submitted a play to the league for further review earlier this season. Reeve believes things have improved and the WNBA is getting closer to what it needs from an officiating perspective after two years of frustration. However, she demanded more public transparency.
Candace Parker finds a silver lining in Caitlin Clark and others bringing new fans into the WNBA
The discourse around the WNBA hasn’t always been pleasant since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the league in 2024. However, Candace Parker credited it for the rise in popularity of the women’s game.
“The reason why there’s been a growth in women’s basketball is because of more opinions,” Parker told ESPN on Friday. “Anybody [on social media] who has an opinion can write it, and you can debate about it. That’s what we’ve wanted for so long. … The visibility comes with both sides.”
The old fans and veteran players have complained that the newer audience’s reactions can get ugly. However, that comes with every popular league around the world. For the WNBA, since it has never happened before, it gets unsettling to watch and hear every critical opinion. Several players are facing large-scale criticism nearly every game and viral incident, and it’s true for younger players as well.
Read more:
- “Angel Reese Made Caitlin Clark Popular”: Ex-FS1 Employee Tanya Ray Makes Bold Claim After Fan Says Dream Star Alone Would Have Elevated WNBA
- Iowa Senator Slams WNBA Referees Over “Ill-Treatment” of Caitlin Clark After Alyssa Thomas Incident
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