Rusty Weiss
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver declined to confirm or deny a report that he personally pushed the WNBA to suspend Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas following her controversial flagrant foul on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
Speaking at CNBC’s Game Plan Summit on Thursday, Silver refused to engage directly with the Sports Business Journal story that claimed he urged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to issue the one-game suspension after Thomas appeared to press her fist into Clark’s throat during a game last month.
Multiple people told the outlet, “Silver implored her to reverse course and issue the discipline.”
When asked about it, Silver said, “I’m not going to comment on that, because I don’t think it’s fair to Caitlin [Clark] — and to Cathy Engelbert either. That’s not the real issue here.”
Silver Pivots to Clark’s Growing Spotlight
Perhaps, but it’s certainly an issue that needs to be addressed and is newsworthy.
On a panel at the CNBC/Boardroom Game Plan event Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not mince words when asked about the now-infamous play between Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas. pic.twitter.com/HCPPBpQgL7
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 17, 2026
Silver instead pivoted to expressing concern that Clark has become a lightning rod for outside noise.
“I think that ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating. And that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review,” Silver contends.
“I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her,” he continued. “I don’t think that issue is ultimately about officiating. It’s become political ping-pong with her.”
Adam Silver goes deeper on the recent conversation surrounding Caitlin Clark.
— Boardroom (@boardroom) July 17, 2026
(🎥: @cnbcevents) pic.twitter.com/RH4Xybogi8
League Response and Suspension Details
Sources who discussed the matter with Sports Business Journal said Engelbert initially did not plan to discipline Thomas for the June 24 incident, in which she was pictured shoving a fist into Clark’s throat area during a loose-ball scramble.
No foul was called on the court, but the league office later reviewed the play, issued a Flagrant Foul 2, and suspended Thomas for one game. They tossed in a $1,000 fine for good measure. Silver is alleged to have intervened because he believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul.
“I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about one foul — should it have been called in time, or should it have been called after the fact? That’s my response,” Silver added. “People are allowed to think whatever they can, and whatever they want, about our league. But there’s so much to celebrate around the WNBA.”
Engelbert has not publicly commented on the latest report, but the WNBA strongly denied that Silver intervened, calling the claim “absolutely false.”
