Sean Keeler: Remember The Jordan Rules? It might be time for The Caitlin Rules. You know one of the first things I thought of when I saw Chennedy Carter go all WWE on the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark over the weekend? 1990. That’s when the NBA instituted the flagrant foul as we know it — and did so, at least in part, because Michael Jordan, the emerging face of the league, was getting the snot kicked out of him, physically and competitively, by Detroit’s “Bad Boy” Pistons. I get that nobody eats their young the way professional sports teams do. I get that rookie abuse is a rite of passage. But by the same token, Clark is a golden goose, the kind of television-ratings tide — and more TV means more money for everybody — that lifts all boats. The WNBA on Sunday raised the level of Carter’s cheap shot from a common foul to a Flagrant 1, which is a step in the right direction. But I say they need to do more. What say you?
Troy Renck: Caitlin Clark is a movement, not a moment. I said it before and don’t mind repeating it. The only ones who don’t seem to get it? The WNBA’s leadership and too many jealous opponents. Did the PGA Tour allow players to spike mark Tiger Woods’ putt path on the green? Clark is the reason so many more people are watching, games are selling out and teams are flying charter. Clark doesn’t require special treatment. Just common sense. If Carter wants to act like Rick Mahorn or Bill Laimbeer, suspend her. Clark can protect herself, yes. But the WNBA needs to protect Clark or any player from these inappropriate actions. Making matters worse? Carter’s lack of accountability in the postgame presser. She eschewed relevant questions from the media about the incident but had no issue running to social media to troll Clark.
Keeler: News flash: “Rookie gets hazed, film at 11.” Clark wasn’t expecting to be treated with kid gloves this summer, by any stretch. Still, there was about as much “basketball” in that shove as there are turn signals in a “Mad Max” movie. When the star rookie in question also shows up with a $28 million endorsement deal from Nike in her portfolio, that’s not professional anymore. It’s dirty. It’s personal.
Renck: The WNBA has done Clark no favors. It wanted to maximize TV eyeballs, scheduling 11 Fever games in 20 days. That is irresponsible, especially since the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces have played six. So, you give her no rest, then let her opponents act like the 1990s Knicks? It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it pays off for them, Cotton.
Keeler: Oh, I get the gray areas. Players police themselves, and no star, no matter how worthy or skilled, wants to be seen as the teacher’s pet. But this league’s a part of the NBA family tree, right? The same NBA that’s been the poster child for “star” double standards — one rule for MJ, another for LeBron, another for everybody else — for generations. It’s baked into the product. If the league doesn’t try to protect Clark, the Fever are going to have to find an “enforcer” who will. So is this about elevating the women’s professional game or turning it into a goon show?
Renck: Clark, who earned a reputation for whining for calls at Iowa, has handled the scrutiny with professionalism and patience. She looks worn out from the NCAA tournament run and the Fever’s few off days. Her team is not a good fit for her skill set because the Fever struggle in transition and can’t seem to figure out how to get her screens off ball like Steph Curry in the halfcourt. And yes, Sean, the Fever needs to use one of its players as a roughneck. If opponents want to keep taking cheap shots at Clark, somebody needs to step in. It is not entitlement; it is simply good business, the same way the Oilers protected Wayne Gretzky. There is a rookie rite of passage. But there are limits to physicality. From the schedule to the officiating to the lack of discipline, the WNBA, which had a year to prepare for her arrival, owes Clark an apology.
