Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for one game after she recklessly made contact with her fist to the throat of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during a WNBA game on June 24, 2026. The incident occurred with 6:52 left in the second quarter of Phoenix’s 111-109 victory over Indiana [1, 2].
No foul was called during the game but the WNBA reviewed the play after the fact and upgraded the contact to a Flagrant Foul 2, resulting in Thomas’s suspension [1, 3, 2, 4]. Clark was fouled again during a three-pointer shortly after the initial incident and sustained a back injury that forced her to miss the rest of the game [1, 4, 5].
Thomas has publicly stated the foul was a "complete accident" and said she learned about the suspension only 10 minutes before the announcement appeared on social media. "Honestly, I didn’t even know I was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was put on social media," she said [3, 2, 6].
In the days following the suspension announcement on June 26, Thomas and several of her teammates have received death threats, racist slurs, and severe online abuse. Thomas condemned the treatment, saying: "It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball. A lot of us – myself included – didn’t even know the play took place until after the game. Now we’re being painted as thugs. There’s death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league and I’m just really sick and tired of it" [1, 3, 2, 7, 6, 8].
Thomas also criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for a lack of timely communication and inadequate player protection. Engelbert responded with a statement condemning all hate and affirming the league’s commitment to safety: "The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate. The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority...what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable" [1, 3, 2, 7, 6, 4, 8].
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White criticized the officiating of the game as "egregious and utterly disrespectful" toward Caitlin Clark [1, 4]. Clark is widely regarded as the face of the league, helping to increase ratings, attendance, and overall player benefits, including for Thomas’s team, according to sports commentator Christine Brennan [5].
The Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever are scheduled to meet again on July 9, 2026 [1, 5]. This game will likely reignite attention on the rivalry following the controversial incident and ongoing fallout.
