WNBA Suspends Alyssa Thomas Following Dirty Hit On Caitlin Clark

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas is being disciplined for her cheap shot on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. With 6:52 left in the second quarter of the Mercury-Fever game, Thomas clearly shoved her fist against Clark's throat. No foul was called on the ...

by Chris Rosvoglou

Jun 25, 2026

Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas is being disciplined for her "cheap shot" on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

With 6:52 left in the second quarter of the Mercury-Fever game, Thomas clearly shoved her fist against Clark's throat. No foul was called on the play, which is why Fever coach Stephanie White called out the refs during her postgame press conference.

“Absolutely disrespectful. We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” White said. “[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating."

On Thursday afternoon, the WNBA confirmed that Thomas has received a one-game suspension and Flagrant Foul 2 for the "reckless" contact she made with Clark.

"Upon postgame review, the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas has received a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension for recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark," the league said. "Per WNBA rule, the League Office has the option, following its review of any game, to reclassify a Flagrant foul or to classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game and may impose a fine and/or suspension."

Thomas will miss this Saturday's game against the Toronto Tempo.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever, 111-109.

What about Caitlin Clark?

The Fever ruled out Clark during the second half of Wednesday's game due to a back injury. It's unclear if she sustained the injury while she was being fouled by Thomas.

“We’ve got to be careful. It’s a long season,” White said. “We’ve got to make sure that she’s healthy.”

While some analysts and fans have been urging Clark to leave the WNBA behind, we doubt she's ready to ditch the Fever. That being said, the league has to do a better job of protecting Clark moving forward.