A man from Texas has been charged with stalking Caitlin Clark, a rising star in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), after allegedly sending her a series of threatening and sexually explicit messages on social media. The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Michael Lewis, was arrested at a hotel in Indianapolis on Sunday, where Clark plays for the Indiana Fever.
According to police reports, Lewis had been sending alarming direct messages to Clark over the course of several weeks, from December 16 to January 2, which included statements revealing that he was monitoring her movements near her home and planning to attend her games. One message reportedly stated: “@CaitlinClark22 been driving around your house 3x a day... but don't call the law just yet, the public is allowed to drive by gainbridge..aka Caitlin's Fieldhouse." In another message, he communicated his intentions of attending her game from behind the bench.
Clark, who is projected to be the 2024 WNBA rookie of the year, learned of the messages shortly before Lewis arrived in Indianapolis and reported them to the authorities due to her increasing fear for her safety. As a precautionary measure, she has even altered her public appearances in response to the threats. Prosecutors emphasized that the harassment left Clark feeling “terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened.”
FBI agents tracked Lewis down using the IP addresses associated with the messages and subsequently arrested him. During questioning, the suspect claimed that his messages were nothing more than “an imagination, fantasy-type thing” and described them as a joke, denying any malicious intent. However, Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears stated that such behaviors are serious and require legal action.
Mears praised Clark's courage in coming forward, underscoring the importance of speaking out against harassment: “It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t.” Lewis is set to appear in court on Tuesday, and if he is convicted, he could face up to six years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
This incident coincides with a recent case where another man was charged with stalking and harassing women’s college basketball player Paige Bueckers, further highlighting the critical need for safety measures and awareness surrounding female athletes.
