At his annual press conference ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. NBA commissioner Adam Silver downplayed Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter's flagrant foul on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark last weekend.
"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. I think it may be lost on some people that are new to basketball, in terms of a little bit of controversy in the WNBA, what an incredible talent she is: two Final Fours, leading scorer in the history of college basketball."
With more eyeballs than ever on the WNBA, Carter's off-ball foul has drawn a fiery discourse that has evolved into deeper conversations about racial dynamics and misogyny.
Silver acknowledged there's a racial component at play with the harsh debates being had about the play.
"I think sports has historically been a platform for people to talk directly about these issues," he said. "I don't think we should hide from them."
In all, Silver believes this national discussion, contentious as it is, around the Sky and Fever is ultimately "very healthy" for women's basketball, particularly Clark's rivalry with Sky rookie Angel Reese.
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"Ultimately, I don’t want to make too big of an issue about one particular player, one particular call", he said. "But I think the burgeoning rivalries within professional basketball, you see rivalries obviously among clubs but also among individual players, too, and I think that can be ultimately good for the sport."
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