WNBA Suspends Alyssa Thomas for Hitting Caitlin Clark in the Throat

The WNBA announced Thursday that Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas has been suspended for one game. The suspension came after Thomas hit Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark in the throat during a game on Wednesday night. The incident happened at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and referees did not call a foul at the time. The league later reviewed the play and decided Thomas needed to be punished.

The hit happened with about 6 minutes and 52 seconds left in the second quarter. Thomas and Clark were both scrambling for the ball when Thomas's fist made contact with Clark's throat. No foul was called during the game, which made Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White very upset. White called the no-call 'egregious,' meaning she thought it was extremely wrong and hard to accept. 'The fact that it was a no-call ... You got to call it,' White said after the game, adding that the miss was 'absolutely unacceptable.'

The WNBA's League Office has the power to review any game after it is played. If officials believe a foul was worse than it appeared, they can assign a flagrant foul or upgrade an existing one. In this case, the league's review decided that Thomas had committed a 'non-basketball act' by recklessly making contact with Clark's throat. That kind of ruling means the contact was not a normal part of playing the game. As a result, Thomas will serve her one-game suspension on June 27, when the Mercury host the Toronto Tempos.

This is not the first time the league has upgraded a foul involving Clark. Last season, Marina Mabrey of the Connecticut Sun was called for a technical foul during a game against Indiana. The WNBA later changed that call to a Flagrant 2, which is a more serious penalty. The league has shown it is willing to look back at plays and hand out stronger punishments when needed.

Clark had a tough night beyond just the throat incident. Later in the second quarter, she was fouled while attempting a 3-point shot. She fell to the ground after the shot and was seen grabbing her back as she got up. That foul was reviewed but was not upgraded to a flagrant foul. Clark has had back problems before, including missing a game against the Portland Fire in May, and she was limited to just 13 games last season because of lower-body injuries.

Clark ended up leaving the game during the third quarter. Before she left, she had already scored 19 points and handed out eight assists in just 20 minutes of play. Despite her early exit, the Mercury still won the game 111–109. Clark's performance showed how important she is to her team even when she can only play part of the game.

The two teams had also played each other on Monday night, and that game was very heated as well. Six technical fouls were called, and one player was ejected. Clark picked up her fifth technical foul of the season in that game. The Fever asked the league to take it back, but the WNBA confirmed the technical foul would stand.