Iowa Legend Lisa Bluder
WNBA Needs Rule Changes
… Amid Caitlin Clark Treatment
Published
TMZSports.com
Caitlin Clark has taken quite a beating from opponents to start her WNBA career … and her college coach, Lisa Bluder, has a few ideas on how the league can put an end to it.
TMZ Sports spoke with the recently retired Iowa Hawkeyes women’s hoops legend on Thursday … and asked her all about the treatment her former superstar guard has received so far in the pros.
While Bluder doesn’t believe Caitlin is intentionally being “targeted,” she does think players are giving her their “best shot” night after night — because “they think that’s the way that they can stop her, is by physical dominance over her.”
“It’s a part of the WNBA. It’s a part of the rules right now, and if we want that to change, I think we have to change the way the game is called,” Bluder said.
So … what should the W do??
“I think there needs to be more freedom of movement in our game,” she said. “Which means, yes, calling more fouls, which people don’t like, but people will adjust. The players will adjust.”
“If we start calling more fouls and emphasize the rules, the players will adjust, ’cause they want to be on the floor.”
Bluder said if a more egregious act is committed by a player, they need to be ejected from the game and slapped with a fine — and she’s not talking a few bucks. She wants it to hurt their wallets.
“I think that’s the only way to change the behavior,” Bluder said. “And I think what’s gonna happen is more people are gonna enjoy the game.”
While calling more fouls may not be the most popular fix … keeping the best players healthy seems like a goal everyone should be rooting for … especially after Clark was involved in quite the scuffle earlier this week.
Caitlin Clark, Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey were all assessed technical fouls after this play.
Jacy Sheldon was assessed a Flagrant 1. pic.twitter.com/okfTpJjRS7
— ESPN (@espn) June 18, 2025
@espn
Despite her opponents trying their damnedest to stop her, Clark is playing well this season — averaging 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.5 rebounds a game.