Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal says the physical, sometimes hostile treatment Caitlin Clark has faced from opposing WNBA players amounts to a familiar rite of passage that every all-time great athlete has had to endure, offering a defense of the league's rough handling of the Indiana Fever star as she navigates her third professional season.

"Once she passes through that, the league will belong to her," O'Neal told CNBC Sport in an interview on the set of his television show, "Dunkman," addressing the ongoing national debate over how Clark has been treated on the court.

A Pattern of Physical Play

Clark has been the target of a series of harsh fouls throughout her WNBA career, including hip checks, eye pokes and, most notably, a direct blow to the throat during a June 24 matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. No foul was initially called on that play, but following widespread public criticism, the league reviewed the incident and issued a one-game suspension to Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for what the WNBA described as recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area.

Clark addressed the incident publicly on July 3, saying that officiating needs to improve and that the league needs to do a better job protecting players on the court. The pattern of physical treatment directed at Clark, combined with ongoing criticism of WNBA officiating more broadly, has fueled sustained national debate, with some lawmakers going so far as to call for greater accountability from the league regarding how it handles conduct against the star........

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