League action and team reactions
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas has been suspended for one game and received a Flagrant Foul 2. This disciplinary action follows an incident during Wednesday night’s game against the Indiana Fever, where Thomas made contact with Fever guard Caitlin Clark. The league described Thomas’s action as “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Clark, classifying it as a “non-basketball act.” Thomas will serve her suspension on Saturday during the Mercury’s game against the Toronto Tempo.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of the game, which the Fever won 111-109. Clark was on the court after attempting to drive to the basket when Thomas appeared to make contact with her. Initially, no foul was called on the play. Indiana head coach Stephanie White expressed strong disapproval of the officials’ initial decision, calling the no-call “absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful.”
Fever team president Kelly Krauskopf issued a statement acknowledging the league’s review and action. Krauskopf emphasized the importance of player safety, stating, “Player safety should be paramount in our league.” She added that the team’s current focus is on Clark and the rest of the team as they prepare for their upcoming game.
Social media post draws scrutiny
Following the game, a social media post from the Mercury’s official account drew scrutiny. Screenshots circulating on social media platform X showed a meme posted after the Mercury’s win over the Fever. The meme depicted a cartoon player on the floor with the caption, “DE-WANNA PIECE OF THIS?!?”. This appeared to be a reference to DeWanna Bonner, a former Fever player now with the Mercury.
The timing of the post was noted due to the physical nature of the game and the incident involving Thomas and Clark. The post is no longer visible, suggesting its removal by the organization. Questions have been raised regarding the authenticity of the post, who approved it, and why it was deleted, particularly in light of the league’s subsequent disciplinary action against Thomas.
The WNBA did not comment on the alleged social media post in its announcement regarding Thomas’s suspension. The Mercury and Fever organizations did not respond to inquiries regarding the post or the broader concerns about player safety and officiating.
Ongoing tensions between the teams
Wednesday’s game was the second consecutive matchup between the Fever and Mercury, with tensions already high from their previous encounter. In an earlier game, officials issued six technical fouls to five players, including Clark, Thomas, and Bonner. Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected from that game after receiving her second technical foul.
Clark herself was fouled later in Wednesday’s game by Valeriane Ayayi during a 3-point attempt. Officials reviewed the play but did not upgrade it to a flagrant foul. Clark subsequently left the game and did not return, finishing with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.
The league also announced that a technical foul assessed to Clark from the Monday game would not be rescinded. Clark now has five technical fouls for the season, placing her three away from an automatic one-game suspension according to league rules. The Fever are scheduled to host the Los Angeles Sparks in a Saturday primetime matchup.
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Source: foxnews.com
