Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever fell to 10-8 on the 2026 WNBA season after suffering a 111-109 loss to Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night. The Fever finished the mini series against the Mercury with a 1-1 overall record, taking Phoenix down 86-77 just two nights before.
Clark finished the game with 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting, eight assists and four turnovers, but was limited to just 20 minutes after leaving the game in the third quarter due to her lingering back injury. Thomas, on the other hand, had a solid night as well, tallying 24 points and eight assists, but it was Kelsey Mitchell who stole the show with a game-high 30 points.
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Things were pretty intense throughout the game, with Sophie Cunningham and her former Fever teammate, DeWanna Bonner, going at it. And with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter, Clark was attempting to drive to the basket before falling down underneath the hoop. Thomas, going after the ball, fell on top of the Fever guard as it rolled away, before putting her fist into Clark's neck, which went unnoticed by the officials.
The Clark-Thomas incident caused quite a stir amongst fans, with Stephanie White calling the play out as well, which forced the WNBA to look into it. And the league upgraded Thomas' play to a Flagrant Foul 2 for "recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat" of Clark. The Mercury forward was also handed a one-game suspension, forcing her to miss Saturday's game against the Toronto Tempo
After the WNBA made its final decision on Thomas, Fever president Kelly Krauskopf released a statement on social media regarding the incident. She emphasized the importance of player safety, specifically mentioning “Caitlin” as well.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league," Krasukopf said. "We appreciate the WNBA's review of last night's incident and the action taken. Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday.”
Up next for Clark and the Fever, a matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
