NBA commissioner Adam Silver breaks his silence on the Caitlin Clark-WNBA controversy as he weighs in on Chennedy Carter bodycheck row

By Alastair Talbot

Published: | Updated:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has broken his silence on the Caitlin Clark-WNBA controversy, weighing in on Chennedy Carter's hard foul on the Indiana Fever star.

Speaking ahead of the NBA Finals' Game 1 on Thursday night, Silver, 61, didn't opine on Carter's bodycheck on Clark, a play that has been scrutinized in countless ways from countless parties since Saturday's game between the Fever and Chicago Sky. 

Conversations exploded over the weekend when Carter gave a shoulder shot to Clark that knocked the Fever star to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter. The WNBA later upgraded the common foul to a flagrant-one upon review.

'As a fan, obviously, it's nothing new in basketball that there's sort of welcome-to-the-league moments, especially for heralded rookies,' Silver said. 

'But of course, I want to see Caitlin treated fairly and appropriately in the league. I would say, it seems like she can take care of herself... she's a tough player.'  

NBA Comm'r Adam Silver said he wants to see Caitlin Clark treated 'fairly and appropriately' in the WNBA amid conversations about hard fouls on the Fever guard and her race 

Chennedy Carter gave a brutal shoulder shot to Clark during the Fever-Sky game on Saturday

Silver went onto call Clark 'an incredible talent' and says all the attention she helps brings is good for women's basketball - while noting that the growth of the fan base for the women's game didn't start just now, either. 

He also said it can't be ignored that there are 'larger societal issues at work ... some having to do with race' when discussing the attention Clark generates and how that is received.

'Sports, historically, has been a platform for people to talk directly about these issues,' Silver said. 

'I don't think we should hide from them, and I think the players are happy to engage about these issues.'

Carter drew heavy criticism for her foul on Clark during Chicago's defeat to Indiana, with the Sky guard appearing to yell 'you b***h' before shoving the Fever rookie to the ground. 

Carter's teammate Angel Reese was criticized on social media for celebrating the hard foul on Clark

Her teammate Angel Reese seemed to have celebrated the shove after the game, despite their 71-70 loss on the night, which sparked outrage on social media.

Days later, during an appearance on FanDuel TV's 'Run It Back,' basketball legend Nancy Lieberman admitted she would have reacted more violently to the bodycheck than Clark did, while calling on the point guard's Fever teammates to step up and offer her better protection in the future.

Lieberman went on to point out that hockey great Wayne Gretzky and NBA legend Michael Jordan always had enforcers protecting them in their respective fields, insisting that Clark needs similar help on court for the Fever. 

However, others, such as Whoopi Goldberg have leapt to Carter's defense. The View star implored viewers to 'get over [themselves]' and accept that WNBA players are 'athletes.'

Days after her bodycheck on Clark, Carter was 'harassed' at the Sky's hotel in Washington DC

'Let's be realistic, OK? This is basketball, OK? This happens in basketball all the time. Angel Reese got clotheslined the other day,' Goldberg said.

'This is, "Get out the way or I'mma move you." That's what the game is … A lot of people, however, are reading this as confrontation. But this is not confrontation,' she insisted.

On Wednesday, Carter was targeted in Washington DC by a man, who was not a guest at the hotel, as the Sky arrived ahead of their road game against the Mystics on Thursday.

Angel Reese and other Sky teammates of Carter's furiously spoke out after the incident on social media, calling for better security measures from the WNBA on social media.