Society demands that people in the public eye respond to events in real time.
Sometimes the smartest response, however, is no response. I’d rather pull someone away from a microphone than spend weeks cleaning up what they said into it.
Emotion has a way of overpowering perspective. Whether it’s a game or a business deal you thought you’d land, speaking in the heat of the moment can make smart people say dumb things.
Caitlin Clark has spent the past two years living under the sports world’s version of a 24-hour security camera. Even her silence is analyzed.
The Indiana Fever star commented publicly for the first time last week after Phoenix Mercury guard Alyssa Thomas was retroactively suspended for one game when the WNBA found she recklessly fouled Clark during a June contest. (Thomas notched her fourth technical of the 2026 season this week.)
Some criticized Clark for not speaking up sooner. But waiting isn’t the same as avoiding.
When she did speak, her words were measured but strong. She addressed player harassment, the need for better officiating and the broader concerns surrounding the incident.
Caitlin Clark waited to speak about a foul against her and Alyssa Thomas’ subsequent suspension that made headlines. Clark’s response was PR perfect.
Waiting gave Clark room to connect the dots instead of reacting to a hypersensitive topic. We get so caught up in what happens now that sometimes we can’t think clearly, let alone speak clearly.
PR SIDEeffect – It’s easier to make a mess of a moment than to make sense of it. Clark didn’t ignore criticism. She simply refused to let it dictate the timing of her words. By waiting, she addressed the issue with perspective instead of reacting. That’s almost always the better PR move. Speed gets attention. Good judgment builds trust.
©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar
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