WNBA legend Candace Parker downplays Caitlin Clark’s rough on-court treatment

As debate swirls around how Caitlin Clark is being handled on the court, WNBA legend Candace Parker has weighed in with a clear and candid take: the physical play Clark is facing isn’t out of the ordinary, it’s the price of stardom.Speaking to TMZ Sports in Beverly Hills this week, the three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP responded to claims that Clark has been unfairly roughed up during her short WNBA career. Parker didn’t sugarcoat it.“Star players aren’t ever treated fairly,” Parker told TMZ Sports.While she didn’t elaborate further, the message was direct. In Parker’s view, hard fouls and heightened physicality come with being a marquee name. And for someone who has carried that weight herself, she sees Clark’s treatment not as unfair, but as expected.Still, Parker made it clear that she respects Clark’s game. She spoke highly of the 22-year-old Indiana Fever guard’s early accomplishments, especially how quickly Clark has begun matching some of Parker’s own on-court milestones.“It’s awesome,” Parker said. “It’s great. I think she has so many more years to come of greatness. So it’s been good watching her play.”Clark has already recorded three triple-doubles in her WNBA career, matching Parker’s own mark, despite having only entered the league last year following a historic college run at Iowa.Clark’s meteoric rise has made her one of the most visible figures in the league. As the face of the Indiana Fever and a national draw for the WNBA, her presence on the court attracts both attention and, increasingly, contact.Many fans and media voices have questioned whether Clark is being unfairly targeted by opposing players, or if referees should be offering more protection. But for Parker, the answer is straightforward: it’s part of what comes with the role. Physicality, she suggests, is a rite of passage for players who stand out.While the debate continues off the court, Clark herself has been sidelined with a left quadriceps injury she sustained in a game against the New York Liberty. She’s expected to miss at least two weeks.Her absence was felt immediately. Without Clark, the Fever fell 83–77 to the Washington Mystics in their most recent game. Indiana had started strong, leading much of the first half. But Washington turned the tide late in the second quarter and never looked back.The Mystics were led by Shakira Austin, who scored 13 points in the win. The result dropped Indiana’s early-season record to 2–3 (.400) and moved Washington into third place in the Eastern Conference standings, overtaking the Fever.