Texas Man Sentenced for Stalking WNBA Star Caitlin Clark

It's a problem not just with sports, but with everyday people across the country — including Texas. Sadly, Texas ended up all over the news about a year ago for this issue, and now it's back in the spotlight.

Stalking. It's a serious issue, but it's always cast in a brighter light when it involves a sports superstar, much like this one.

How Celebrity Obsession Turns Dangerous

Caitlin Clark is the biggest star in women's basketball, and arguably one of the biggest stars in all of sports. She brought awareness to women's sports during her time at the University of Iowa and now in the WNBA.

With that comes a huge spotlight on her, and that tends to create obsessions with people who always see that person on their TV or other places.

Messages That Alarmed Authorities

Michael Lewis, a North Texas man, sadly fell into the proverbial trap and grew an obsession with Caitlin and began sending her messages via social media. They weren't your typical fan messages talking about how much they want to be like her, love the way she plays, etc.

These messages were threatening, and some of them were sexually charged. At one point, he told police that the messages were just because he was in an "imaginary relationship" with Clark. He flew from Texas to Indianapolis and sent messages to Clark saying he was driving around her house, then mentioned Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Fever play their games, as her house.

The Courtroom Confession and Sentencing

Ultimately, Lewis was arrested and charged with stalking. He was booked and jailed until his court hearing, which took place yesterday." Lewis pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, with roughly one year effectively reduced due to time served, leaving him in jail for the next year and a half.

At the hearing, Lewis said, "I want her to be safe," and "I've never threatened her, I've never thought about threatening her." The judge recommended he seek mental health help, telling Lewis, "You can't help yourself until you get help," after he went on to say the end of the world was coming.

Here is the entire court proceeding, along with a statement from Michael Lewis.