Rusty Weiss
The WNBA is pushing back against a report alleging that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver pressured its Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for her controversial contact with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that sources said Engelbert initially did not plan to discipline Thomas for the June 24 incident, in which Thomas made fist contact with 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 with a $1,000 fine. According to the SBJ sources, Silver intervened because he believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul and felt bad for Clark, ultimately persuading Engelbert to act.
Multiple people told the outlet, “Silver implored her to reverse course and issue the discipline.”
NEW: WNBA player Alyssa Thomas has been suspended after she cheap-shotted Caitlin Clark in the throat.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 25, 2026
No foul was called during the game as Thomas was caught on camera jamming her fist into Clark's throat.
The league has now suspended Thomas for one game and will fine her… pic.twitter.com/dsFXNroz2L
WNBA Rejects Silver Pressure Claims
Now, however, the WNBA strongly denied that narrative.
A league spokesperson called the claim “absolutely false,” insisting Engelbert always intended to issue appropriate discipline and that the league followed its standard post-game review process for potential flagrant fouls.
Engelbert Faces Growing Leadership Heat
The quick denial is a sign of how difficult Engelbert and her office are finding it to promote a narrative that she is in control of the league and competently running it. Silver, at least, seems to think she’s doing a fine job.
“Cathy and I work together, and I don’t want to speak for Cathy,” Silver said at a news conference this week. “But I’m very pleased with where the WNBA is. We made tremendous progress under her leadership over the last several years. Cathy continues to do a strong job building the league.”
That’s a ringing endorsement for the leader of a league that loses billions annually (yes, even in the Clark Era) and the NBA has to continually subsidize.
Silver has not directly addressed any role in the suspension.
The latest report is only piling more pressure on Engelbert. She’s already been booed by fans at recent events, taken heat for canceling a radio interview at the last minute, and caught flak from a group of U.S. House Republicans who sent a letter demanding answers on player safety and the physical treatment of Clark. To some people around the league, this whole situation just feels like more proof that things are shaky behind the scenes and that questions about her long-term future aren’t going away.
And this kind of scrutiny isn’t dying down anytime soon. As the season rolls on, the WNBA is going to keep getting grilled about how it balances hard-nosed physical play with protecting its players — especially when so many fans feel like their biggest star isn’t getting a fair shake.
