Caitlin Clark threat to leave Indiana Fever next season, Identifies Chicago sky as next destination…see more

The Indiana Fever point guard has been subjected to some hard-hitting moves from her opponents in recent weeks as she gets to grips with the tough nature of professional women’s basketball.

Most recently, she was on the receiving end of a hip-check from Chennedy Carter in the Fever’s 71-70 win over the Chicago Sky at the weekend, which was upgraded to a Flagrant-1 foul by the WNBA.

While Clark did not complain herself, others felt the tackle was over the line.

But Stewart, who was involved in a very physical encounter between the New York Liberty when playing against the Fever on Wednesday, insisted it was part of playing at the highest level of women’s basketball.

“This is the best league in the world. No one is going to give you anything easy,” Stewart said in the post-game press conference.

“The fastest, the strongest, the quickest – that’s why this is the WNBA.

Basketball fans on social media seem to disagree with Stewart’s viewpoint and feel that WNBA should be willing to change with the times to keep its new fanbase.

One social media user explained: “Just because the WNBA has been so physical doesn’t mean it should continue to be. That might be a reason why few ever watched it before.

And then if you include dirty cheap shots as part of physicality then you have totally lost me. Any business has to cater to its clients or soon there is no business.”