There's been some discussion about how the Indiana Fever could bolster Kaitlyn Clark's supporting cast, but at least one NBA veteran says the team needs to sign an “enforcer” to protect its star player.
Longtime Chicago Bulls player Joakim Noah told Fox News Digital that giving Kaitlyn Clark a deterrent against players committing fouls should be a top priority.
“If I was the owner of the Indiana Fever, I'd hire a real enforcer to protect her,” Noah said during an interview on “NBA Night” on Wednesday at the Emirates Suite at the U.S. Open in New York.
“Sometimes I feel like she's under attack because she's a very talented person. But at the end of the day, we're in the business of winning games, so if I were the owner, [of the Indiana Fever]I'm going to have a real enforcer there.”
Clark has been the victim of numerous flagrant fouls and outright assaults throughout the season. Below are just a few examples of the rough plays she has had to deal with:
Not everyone believes the hard fouls have been a negative for the league. ESPN's Holly Rowe believes the hits have been a positive overall.
“I think it's good for the sport,” Rowe said. “It's supposed to be salty, that's why I like it. So it's competitive, it's a sport.”
There's no doubt that the abuse hasn't negatively affected Clark, at least in terms of her play: She broke rookie records for assists, three-pointers and triple-doubles.
More importantly, the Fever, who started 1-8 and received the top pick in the WNBA Draft for the second straight year, are 18-17 and ranked third in the Eastern Conference standings.
Still, since the league seems unwilling to do anything to stop the attacks on Clark, it might not be a bad idea for the Fever to hire Gore.
