Overview
- On May 28, Cari Champion told her Flagrant & Funny podcast that she sees “blatant favoritism” from WNBA referees and the league toward Caitlin Clark and said the league is not handling the player well.
- Champion cited a viral moment from last season when Clark told a referee to “open their eyes,” a recent on‑court exchange with Tiffany Hayes, and a technical called on Paige Bueckers as examples of uneven officiating.
- The remarks came after Clark’s late scratch from a home game generated a WNBA warning to the Indiana Fever for injury‑reporting violations, an episode Champion used to question league standards.
- Champion and cohost Jemele Hill urged that the Fever coaching staff or the WNBA commissioner should step in to ‘level‑set’ expectations for Clark’s conduct and accountability.
- Coverage of the comments has split along editorial lines with different outlets framing Champion’s critique as a call for fairness, a personal attack, or part of a wider debate over how the WNBA markets and disciplines its biggest stars.