Whether it’s inconsistent officiating, player safety, or even what she thinks after her teammate Sophie Cunningham revealed her stance on trans athletes in women’s sports, Caitlin Clark has constantly been in the spotlight. As the 2026 WNBA regular season moves into the last quarter, the Toronto Tempo HC has called for decentralization. According to the 2024 champion coach, other big stars should also get recognition for their contributions.
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“[Clark] is an amazing player, but Kelsey Mitchell’s an amazing player. Aaliyah Boston is an amazing player. It’s not driven by one or two players, It’s driven by all the great players in this league, and our focus should be on that,” Brondello told reporters in a video posted by CBC Olympics’ Savanna Hamilton on X on Monday, August 17.
The Fever franchise player is the biggest showstopper in the league who’s presence is still helping the Fever set viewership records on networks like USA Sports. However, on the flip side, her fame also shifts attention away from how other Fever stars have performed throughout this year.
Clark also brings too many eyes on the Fever, a phenomenon that has often backfired. With the Fever star has come a highly polarized fandom, a part of which has used her as a tool in political and cultural debates.
Brondello reiterated that basketball and its great players should be the start and end of conversations.
“I’ve been in this league for 27 years. I think we should keep the focus on the basketball…we’ve got a job to do here, and we’ve got the best players in the world here. That’s what the focus should be on: celebrating these great players.”
In the last few weeks, the WNBA has been headlined by Caitlin Clark’s teammate, Sophie Cunningham’s stance on transgender participation in women’s sports.
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” Cunningham told Hallie Grossman.
Before the WNBA could address Cunningham’s controversy, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White furthered the league’s headache after they declared for the 2027 WNBA draft, drawing backlash against players’ eligibility criteria under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Yet, even during this debate, everyone wondered what Caitlin Clark would have to say about her teammate’s stance on the issue. Yet, when Clark didn’t add her own take to the debate, reporters directly asked the 2024 Rookie of the Year about it.
“It’s not really a discussion we have in our locker room. It’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but my focus is on basketball,” Clark told reporters after their 108-100 loss against Minnesota.
Yet, as Sandy Brondello highlighted, media personalities couldn’t move beyond Clark, with analysts like Stephen A. Smith criticizing Caitlin Clark for being neutral about the issue.
Meanwhile, achievements like the WNBA adding two new expansion teams have been overshadowed. The Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire are the 14th and 15th teams in the league as part of their expansion plan, and all of the Fever’s 44 games are being nationally televised.
The new historic CBA that the players signed with the league ahead of the 2026 season pushed many of the WNBA’s biggest stars’ contracts beyond a million dollars annually. Brondello believes that despite the debates and the controversies, there’s a lot more to cover.