WNBA accused of treating Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark worse than any pro league has ever treated a man

After a dominant return from a left quad strain, knocking off the defending champion and then-undefeated New York Liberty, Caitlin Clark has been at the center of the sports media coverage, reminding the nation she is basketball royalty.

The 23-year-old is the unrivaled face of the WNBA, which likely creates immense negative sentiment from the rest of the league, begging for a brighter spotlight.

Clark continued her sizzling comeback tour Tuesday with a strong showing against the Connecticut Sun, but the box score quickly became obsolete.

In the middle of the third quarter, Sun's Jacy Sheldon went for a brazen steal before hitting Clark in the face. The two exchanged words before Clark pushed Sheldon away, which prompted Marina Mabrey to run over and plow into Clark.

After a lengthy review, Mabrey shockingly stayed in the game.

In response to the altercation on X, OutKick’s Clay Travis lit up the W for failing to protect its signature player.

"Can you guys remember a star male athlete getting treated this badly by the league as a whole?" Travis asked. "Not one team, basically every team. This is year two now of this for Caitlin Clark. Not rookie hazing. So many cheap shots."

This is Clark's third altercation in six games, largely provoked by an opposing player, with Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard also getting into it with the young phenom.

Women's basketball standouts from all generations are clearly jealous of Clark—just look at the reception when Time named her "Athlete of the Year 2024."

The WNBA is on shaky ground as it is; they should think about embracing Clark before a collection of wealthy entrepreneurs sees through the cracks and tries to lure her away into a new, more lucrative project.