WASHINGTON (TND) — Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on Tuesday demanded the WNBA answer for repeated attacks on star athlete Caitlin Clark, according to a letter obtained by The National Desk (TND).

Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever in April following a dominant collegiate career at the University of Iowa. She has since been the subject of controversy as pundits weigh her success against topics like equal pay in women’s athletics.

Rep. Banks in his letter noted a growing frequency of violent fouls against Clark at the hands of opposing players, using an unprovoked hit by Chicago Sky player Chennedy Carter as an example. These actions, he said, should be more forcefully regulated by referees.

“Indiana is a basketball state,” Rep. Banks wrote. “We don’t wince at aggressive defense, but this was not an example of playing ‘tough’; it was a cheap shot that could have resulted in an injury and should not be tolerated.”

The representative said such actions are deserving of harsher responses by the WNBA, including fines and other sanctions.

Rep. Banks closed by demanding answers on what the WNBA is doing to curb targeting of individual players and whether it believes seeing Clark repeatedly fouled is “inspiring” to young female athletes.

Former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler weighed in on the letter, saying Clark is being subjected to unique discrimination by the WNBA.

“As a WNBA team owner for a decade, I never saw this level of hostility toward one player,” Loeffler, who co-owned the Atlanta Dream, said. “Caitlin Clark may be the best thing to happen to the league, ever. Ten games in, and her stats are better than half the veteran players. Viewership is up. They’re on chartered flights. Instead of being welcomed, she’s physically and verbally attacked. They want the attention – but they don’t want it for a player like Caitlin Clark.

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