Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas received a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension, the WNBA announced Thursday, after reviewing the play involving her and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
The league noted in a statement that Thomas has been suspended “for recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area of (Clark).”
“The fist in the throat is crazy, it’s crazy. It’s dangerous,” Fever coach Stephanie White said after Indiana lost to Phoenix, 111-109.n
Clark left the game in the third quarter with a back injury she originally tended to during the first quarter. White didn’t have an update on Clark’s back injury, which has been an ongoing issue and has kept her on the team’s injury report much of the season.
Wednesday’s incident occurred with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter, when Clark fell to the court as she was driving past the free-throw line, and players scrambled for the loose ball. Thomas dove on top of Clark and, during the scramble, finished her fall with her right fist on top of Clark’s throat.
The WNBA announced Alyssa Thomas has been suspended for one game after making “reckless contact” to Caitlin Clark’s throat on this play.
WNBA players continue to play very aggressively against Clark three years into her career. pic.twitter.com/0pWiuI7SlE
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 25, 2026
“It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White said. “You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that s— still happens. Absolutely unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable.”
White was referencing Monday’s tense battle, which featured six technical fouls and one ejection before the Fever won, 86-77.
Per WNBA rule, the league office can reclassify a Flagrant foul or classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game and may impose a fine and/or suspension following its review of any game.
Thomas was deemed to have committed a non-basketball act, and will serve her suspension on June 27, when the Mercury visit the Toronto Tempo.
The Fever host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday before having one week off. They’ll open a four-game road trip on July 5 in Las Vegas against the defending champion Aces and will visit Phoenix during the trip on July 9.
W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports writer from Las Vegas and a Senior Staff Writer at Ballislife.com. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.
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