Geno Auriemma weighs in on hard Caitlin Clark fouls: ‘Not a referendum on America’
· Yahoo Sports
These days, it seems everyone has an opinion on Caitlin Clark and the way she’s been treated in the WNBA.
Geno Auriemma is no exception, and the legendary UConn women’s basketball coach made his feelings known during an appearance on the podcast “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch.”
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Auriemma said he believes the controversy surrounding the hard fouls committed on Clark during games is overblown by the media at large.
“Not every foul is a good foul. Not every foul’s a bad foul, and there are fouls that are flagrant, ok? But that’s all they are. They are not a referendum on America, which is what the whole goddamn thing has become,” Auriemma said.
“It’s not happening to Paige (Bueckers). Or if it is happening, I don’t hear about it. … That whole (expletive) storm of, ‘This is Jesus coming down to save the WNBA … and I hope people that are listening can differentiate. (Clark) never stood up and said, ‘I’m Jesus and I’m coming.’
“Because the bandwagon and the fandom became so obsessed with the whole thing, it turned into a cause. She became the reason why white players get beat up in the WNBA and she became the reason why Black players don’t get the endorsements and don’t get the adulation that white players get. So instead of it becoming, ‘Caitlin Clark gets fouled hard;’ No (expletive). Every first-round draft pick gets fouled hard.”
Clark has been involved in several incidents since she was drafted in 2024 in which players have committed hard fouls on her, including several where they were given flagrant fouls. Last month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for one game by the WNBA after a loose-ball foul in which she pressed her fist against Clark’s neck while Clark was lying on the court.
“They’re definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her,” Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham said after the incident.
Despite his belief that the hard fouls on Clark are being made into a bigger issue, Auriemma did say he believes some players may want to take shots at her.
“Having said that, I do think there are some personal animosities in that league where people are going to take a shot at her unfairly. No question about that. No question about that,” he said. “And anybody can deny it all they want. Because if I’m wrong, then there would be a lot more people coming to her defense, and they’re not. … But yes, it shouldn’t be a national referendum — and yes, there are players in that league that would love to kick her (expletive) every minute of every day.”
You can listen to the full podcast here.