CNN's Abby Phillip called out Republican outrage over "attacks" against Caitlin Clark as "seemingly" being fueled by the simple fact that Clark is white.
On Saturday's Table for Five, Phillip and her panelists discussed Republican lawmakers sending a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, in which they demanded protection for Clark from possible "racially motivated" attacks.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) shared the letter on X, which was signed by a total of 11 Republican lawmakers.
"I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from WNBA Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women's sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics," he wrote. "I'm putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could find themselves facing a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law."
Sports broadcaster Cari Champion dismissed the lawmakers and accused them of being ignorant of the game, calling the "bullying" on the court a "rite of passage:"