Rusty Weiss
The WNBA announced Thursday that it has suspended Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for one game after reviewing footage from Wednesday night’s game against the Indiana Fever.
The league upgraded an incident in the second quarter to a Flagrant Foul 2, ruling that Thomas “recklessly made contact with her fist to the throat area” of Caitlin Clark during a loose-ball scramble.
Thomas will serve the suspension on Saturday when the Mercury hosts the Toronto Tempo.
Cheap Shot Missed on the Floor
The call came after officials missed the play on the court. Thomas delivered what was clearly a straight-up cheap shot. As she and Clark tangled for a loose ball, Thomas landed on her opponent and drove her fist into the superstar’s throat area before stepping on and over her.
Fever coach Stephanie White was furious postgame, calling the non-call “egregious” and “utterly disrespectful,” especially given recent concerns about physical play against Clark. Clark left the game later with a back injury, adding fuel to the already heated debate around player safety in the league.
It was a blatant and intentional attack.
🔥Hold up…A closer look at the dirty play by Alyssa Thomas last night w/ a new angle — Wait for the freeze + zoom on each.
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) June 25, 2026
– Knee to the groin
– Pinches her underarm
– Fist to the throat
– Attempt to stomp on her (she moved)
Why do @WNBA players hate Caitlin Clark so much? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/83JZSChdEu
Mercury Teammates Push Back Hard
The suspension didn’t sit well with Thomas’s teammates, however. Forward Natasha Mack posted on Threads, “It’s FREE AT until AT FREE!! standing with my bestie.”
Associate head coach Kristi Toliver echoed the sentiment on Instagram Stories with a post that read “When they go low, we go high,” a nod to Michelle Obama that many interpreted as a subtle jab at the league’s decision.
Um, your player went low. Do you not see this?
Phoenix Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver showed support on Instagram for Alyssa Thomas, who was suspended for one game for punching Caitlin Clark in the throat.
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) June 26, 2026
She included a quote from Michelle Obama’s 2016 DNC speech: “When they go low, we go high”
The full quote… pic.twitter.com/tEQ3VEuSfm
Clearly, the Mercury aren’t getting the message. One game for a fist to the throat might satisfy the rulebook, but it doesn’t send the appropriate message to thugs in the league that they need to stop attacking the golden goose.
The fact that Phoenix thinks it’s too much and unfair is unbelievable. Maybe it’s time to think about a 5-game suspension for Thomas and a potential loss of draft picks for the team.
