sports
Auriemma Says Clark Fouls Not a Referendum on America
UConn coach Geno Auriemma said on-court confrontations involving Caitlin Clark should not be viewed as a national referendum. He attributed much of the surrounding attention to her fandom. Clark separately expressed frustration over continued focus on a recent flagrant foul.
Jul 7, 2:21 PM·1m read1 source
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Geno Auriemma said on-court confrontations involving Caitlin Clark should not be viewed as a referendum on America. The longtime UConn women's basketball coach made the comments during an interview on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast. Auriemma stated that Clark's fanbase turned the attention into a cause.
He said Clark became viewed as the reason white players get beaten up in the WNBA and the reason Black players do not receive the same endorsements or adulation. Auriemma added that not every foul is a bad foul and that flagrant fouls remain just that, without broader national implications. Auriemma noted that every first-round draft pick gets fouled hard.
He said the perception that Clark would transform the league was created about her by others, not by Clark herself. Clark stated on July 7, 2026, that she was frustrated over the level of attention given to Alyssa Thomas' flagrant foul. She said the continued focus on the incident was a disservice to the rest of the league.
Auriemma will join ESPN's broadcast of the July 7, 2026, game between the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He has coached UConn since 1985 and won a record 12 NCAA championships.
