Veteran sports commentator Stephen A. Smith has called out the WNBA for failing to take care of Caitlin Clark after the Phoenix Mercury won over the Indiana Fever 111-109. He further cleared the air by saying that the WNBA is still "not the NBA" and needs to protect Clark to develop further.

A controversy arose regarding Phoenix's Thomas not being given a foul after she fisted and stepped over Clark on her way up as she pounced on Clark to take the ball, while Clark was lying down in the paint. Thomas later received a Flagrant Foul 2 and a one-game ban for the same. This happened in the second quarter with 6:52 left. Smith reacted to the same on ESPN's First Take show.

"Don't get in the way of the cash cow," Smith said. "You don't sit up there and pave a way for her and don't compete, nobody's implying that. But you certainly ride that tidal wave of popularity, and use it to your advantage to build the game, not compromise and hurt the game by taking her out whenever you get the opportunity. That's not smart at all."

Smith implies that Clark has been the "cash cow" of the league, and to some extent, that is true.

The Rise Of WNBA Amidst The Arrival Of Caitlin Clark

The Fever averaged 17,036 attendance in Clark's rookie season, a massive jump from the 4,066 they averaged in 2023.

The 2024 season was also the most-watched regular season in 24 years, with 22 games played and an average of 1.19 million viewers across all ESPN platforms. All three of the most-watched games in 2024 included the Fever, as per the WNBA.

The record was further broken in 2025, when the regular season, with 25 games played, reached an average of 1.3 million viewers on ESPN networks and ABC.

But that is not all. This year, the game between the Fever and the Toronto Tempo on June 16 averaged a million viewers on USA Network, making it the most-watched game on cable this season.

These statistics prove how prominent the two-time All-Star has been for the league. Smith also criticized the league for taking her out of the game multiple times.

While he did not point directly towards anything, it might be an indication of the officiating. Clark has five technicals this season ($3,500 in fines) and risks a one-game ban at eight.

If she reaches that tally, not only will she sit out a game, but she will also risk receiving a one-game ban after every two technical fouls going forward, with a $1,500 fine for each foul.

While Smith is not satisfied with how the WNBA is handling its "cash cow," the Fever now prepare for their next game against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 27.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Koushik Biswas