WNBA suspends Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas 1 game for hit to Caitlin Clark’s throat
Alyssa Thomas will serve her one-game suspension on Saturday when the Phoenix Mercury visit the Toronto Tempo.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JUNE 24: Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates after a made basket against Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. OTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA has suspended Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas for one game after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat in Wednesday night’s matchup against Indiana.
It happened with 6:52 left in the second quarter and was deemed to be a non-basketball act. The league gave Thomas a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty for it. No foul was called on the play by officials.
The WNBA is allowed to review a game to reclassify a Flagrant foul or to classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game.
Thomas will serve her suspension on Saturday when the Mercury visit the Toronto Tempo.
“It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it,” said Fever coach Stephanie White after the game. “You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago and that (expletive) still happens? Absolutely unacceptable.”
This isn’t the first time the league has upgraded a foul against Clark. Last season Marina Mabrey, when she was with Connecticut, received a technical foul in a game against Indiana. The league later upgraded it to a Flagrant 2. Over the years the NBA has had a few instances where the league upgraded a play that resulted in a suspension.
The two teams also played on Monday night and there were six technical fouls called and one ejection. Clark picked up her fifth technical of the season in that game. The team petitioned the league to have it rescinded, but the WNBA confirmed that the technical will stand.
The physical play carried over to Wednesday’s game which the Mercury won 111-109.
Clark left the game in the third quarter as she was dealing with a back issue. She appeared to tweak her back in the second quarter when she was fouled shooting a 3-pointer in the second quarter. She fell to the ground and was rubbing her back as she stood up. In the first quarter she went back to the tunnel and returned to the bench wearing a wrap around her back.
She finished the game with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.
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Comments
12 Comments
1 Game is nowhere near enough, and in fact I find it offensive. It was a total punk move, deliberate and coordinated by the Mercury. What they're doing to Caitlyn Clark is the worst kind of racism, which can not be tolerated. The right number is around 10, and all the Mercury players who were involved should be included.
If Caitlyn Clark leaves the WNBA it will end up bankrupting the league. Playing in the WNBA makes no sense.
Thomas is nothing less than a thug masquerading as an athlete. She should be banned for at least 6 games. The fact the Mercury posted a jab lampooning Clark afterward shows this pathetic team is no better than Thomas. Disgusting.
Should have been suspended for the rest of the season without pay...now, that will send a message and these attacks on Clark will stop.
I found it interesting that Arizona Sports re-published the AP article instead of writing their own article. I don't listen to the talking heads on 98.7 every minute of the date did they talk about it?My guess that they didn't want to offend Mat Ishbia