Midway through the second quarter of the Indiana Fever’s 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark went to the floor and lost control of the ball while being defended by Lexi Held of the Mercury.
Amid the scramble for the ball, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas landed on Clark, pushed her fist into Clark’s throat, then stepped over her.
Despite the egregiousness of the incident, no foul was called. After the game, Fever coach Stephanie White called the play a “cheap shot.” Clark left the game with 5:15 to play in the third quarter because of a back issue that was aggravated when she came down on a defender’s foot after shooting a 3-pointer.
“Absolutely disrespectful. We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” White said. “(Clark) is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
The WNBA, a day later, is now acting.
Thomas has been suspended for one game by the WNBA, the first time the six-time All-Star has been banned. She will miss the Mercury’s game on Saturday at the Toronto Tempo, a nationally televised contest on CBS.
In a statement, the WNBA said Thomas “recklessly” made contact with Clark and “committed a non-basketball act.” The incident with Clark was upgraded to a Flagrant 2-level foul which carries a fine of $1,000.
“Per WNBA rule, the League Office has the option, following its review of any game, to reclassify a Flagrant foul or to classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game and may impose a fine and/or suspension,” the WNBA said in a statement.
After the suspension was announced, the Fever released a statement from team president Kelly Krauskopf.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league. We appreciate the WNBA’s review of last night’s incident and the action taken,” Krauskopf said. “Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday.”
Tempers have flared between the Mercury and Fever this season. Clark and DeWanna Bonner got mixed up and had to be separated on Monday night, Sophie Cunningham became a viral meme by pointing at Mercury players, and Clark and Thomas both picked up technical fouls. The history here is that Cunningham used to play for the Mercury and Bonner spent a brief time with the Fever last season. White coached both Bonner and Thomas in Connecticut for a few seasons.
For Thomas, the incident with Clark is not an isolated one. A seven-time All-Defense selection, Thomas has developed a reputation for aggressive and, at times, needlessly reckless play. Last year in the semifinals of the playoffs, Thomas ran through the legs of Napheesa Collier on an attempt at a steal. No foul was called, meanwhile Collier left the game in pain, tearing three ligaments in her ankle.
Thomas has also elbowed Kiki Iriafen in the throat and thrown Angel Reese to the floor in recent seasons.
A University of Maryland product, Thomas was a three-time ACC Player of the Year for Brenda Frese. Thomas leads the WNBA in assists this season with 8.4 per game. A versatile 6-foot-2 forward who owns an Olympic gold medal, she led the WNBA in rebounding in 2023 and steals in 2020. Thomas spent the first 11 years of her career with the Connecticut Sun before she was traded to the Mercury ahead of the 2025 season.
The Mercury (6-13) host the Fever (10-8) again on July 9 in the final regular season matchup between the two teams.
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