{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://nunn.house.gov/2026/07/08/nunn-demands-wnba-protect-west-des-moines-hometown-hero-caitlin-clark/", "Nunn Demands WNBA Protect West Des Moines Hometown Hero Caitlin Clark", "2026-07-08", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Zachary Nunn", "N000193", "nunn.house.gov", "nunn", "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "DES MOINES, IA \u2014 Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) is demanding the WNBA better protect West Des Moines native Caitlin Clark, arguing that the league has failed to adequately safeguard one of the biggest stars in professional sports and the face of women\u2019s basketball. In a letter led by Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11), Nunn and fellow RSC colleagues urged WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to strengthen player safety and ensure all athletes are protected on and off the court.\n\n\u201cCaitlin Clark is one of West Des Moines\u2019 own, and she\u2019s a hero to millions of young girls \u2014 including my daughters,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cShe carried women\u2019s basketball to new heights, and she\u2019s earned the right to compete without being unfairly punched, shoved, and targeted while the league that makes a billion dollars off her name looks the other way. Iowa has your back, keep the faith Caitlin!\u201d\n\nClark absorbs more physical contact than almost anyone in the league. This season she has drawn an average of 6.7 fouls per game, the fourth-most in the WNBA. Those repeated hits come against the player widely credited with driving unprecedented growth for women\u2019s basketball: a valuation by Indiana University finance professor Ryan Brewer credited Clark with 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity \u2014 including merchandise, ticket sales, and television viewership \u2014 with an overall economic impact approaching $1 billion.\n\nIn the letter, Rep. Nunn and his colleagues highlight multiple incidents this season in which Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat. They argue the league\u2019s response has been inconsistent and warn that a continued failure to address repeated on-court violence could raise questions under federal workplace safety and civil rights protections.\n\nThe lawmakers are requesting answers on the WNBA\u2019s policies for reviewing excessive physical play, disciplining players for dangerous conduct, protecting athletes, like Clark, from repeated targeting, and addressing online harassment and off-court threats. They requested a response from the league by July 24, 2026.\n\nThe full letter can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-09T08:24:13Z", "2026-07-09T09:25:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://nunn.house.gov/2026/07/08/nunn-demands-wnba-protect-west-des-moines-hometown-hero-caitlin-clark/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7821049075573683, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}