Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a problem with calling Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark the face of the WNBA. Writing on his Substack, the NBA Hall of Famer subsequently took issue with the media and political figures driving that narrative.
What's Behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Caitlin Clark Debate?
At the center of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Caitlin Clark debate is a letter from GOP lawmakers. Addressed to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the Republican-backed letter called Clark "the face of your league." Abdul-Jabbar rejected that designation, arguing it disrespects standout players like four-time MVP and three-time champion A'ja Wilson, among others.
Crowning one player without the cross-platform dominance of a Michael Jordan or LeBron James, he wrote, insults the rest of the league.
Abdul-Jabbar made clear his issue isn't with Clark herself or her talent. He called her "very good, possibly even a great player" while praising both her shooting ability and court vision.
However, his sharper criticism fell on the attention players who compete against her often receive.
Recently, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for a flagrant foul on Clark. After the game, Thomas and her family received racist abuse and death threats online. For his part, Abdul-Jabbar urged the league and Congress to take that kind of targeted harassment as seriously as they take on-court incidents.
