Stephen A Smith just stood on a stage in New York City and told Congress to stay out of women's basketball.
The WNBA's own commissioner wouldn't protect Caitlin Clark from a fist to the throat – but Smith wants politicians to back off.
And even ESPN's loudest voice knows the league has a problem it refuses to fix.
The WNBA Almost Let a Throat Punch Slide
Smith delivered his warning at Fanatics Fest, broadcast live on his SiriusXM show, while the Caitlin Clark controversy was reaching a boil.
"The politicians that sit up there and run their mouth, and try to invade the sports world and contribute to the division – don't let them do it," Smith told the crowd.
He wasn't subtle about it.
Smith told fans that politicians on both sides are exploiting Clark's popularity to score points – and that Americans should tell them to "kiss our a–" and "go up on Capitol Hill and do your job."
The crowd ate it up.
But Smith skipped the part that explains why politicians got involved in the first place.
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On June 24, Alyssa Thomas jammed her fist into Clark's neck during a game against the Phoenix Mercury.
The referees didn't call a foul.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert reviewed the play afterward and initially planned to do nothing – until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped in and pushed her to act, according to Sports Business Journal.
Thomas eventually received a retroactive Flagrant 2 foul and a one-game suspension.
The WNBA called the report "absolutely false."
Nobody believed them.
Congress Stepped In Because Engelbert Wouldn't
A dozen Republican members of Congress – led by Rep. August Pfluger, chairman of the Republican Study Committee – sent Engelbert a letter demanding answers.
Clark has been "hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games," the letter stated.
Rep. Tim Burchett called it what it is – the "thug treatment."
The lawmakers gave the WNBA until July 24 to explain how the league handles on-court violence, holds players accountable, and protects its athletes from harassment.
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They warned that the pattern of abuse could trigger a federal investigation by the Department of Justice or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
"Commissioner Engelbert has had every chance to protect Caitlin Clark and hold those responsible accountable, and instead we've gotten crickets," Pfluger said.
Engelbert hasn't attended a single Indiana Fever game since Clark was drafted.
She ducked an interview with Dan Patrick at a golf tournament last week.
She's hiding from the biggest story in women's sports – one her own league created.
Smith Blames the Wrong People
Smith urged Clark and her WNBA teammates to come together, told the commissioner to do her job, and pleaded with lawmakers to stay in their lane.
Fair enough – in theory.
But politicians stepped in because the WNBA wouldn't police itself.
When a league lets its franchise player get battered game after game, and when the commissioner needs the NBA's boss to force her hand, somebody outside the building has to say something.
Congress didn't start this fight.
Cathy Engelbert's incompetence invited them in.
Adam Silver made the same dodge last week at CNBC's Game Plan Summit, calling Clark a "political football" – as if the outrage over what happened to her is just partisan noise.
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It's not partisan.
It's a league that won't protect its own players and then blames everyone else when people notice.
President Trump said it plainly – "That was a pretty bad event."
It was worse than bad.
It was a commissioner telling her biggest star that keeping other players happy matters more than keeping her safe.
Smith wants politicians out of sports.
Fine.
Then the WNBA needs to start doing its job – because right now, it's proving it can't.
Sources:
- Benji Ferraro, "Stephen A Smith warns politics is causing 'division' within America's last unifying pastime," Fox News, July 19, 2026.
- Tom Friend, reporting on Adam Silver's intervention in Thomas suspension, Sports Business Journal, July 2026.
- OutKick staff, "Republican lawmakers press WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to protect Caitlin Clark," Fox News/OutKick, July 8, 2026.
- Al Perrotta, "GOP Lawmakers Press WNBA Commissioner to Protect Caitlin Clark," The Daily Signal, July 14, 2026.
- OutKick staff, "Adam Silver calls Caitlin Clark a 'political football' as the WNBA keeps dodging reality," Fox News/OutKick, July 17, 2026.