WNBA suspends Alyssa Thomas for hitting Caitlin Clark in the throat

The Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas has received a flagrant foul penalty and been suspended for one game after hitting Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the throat during a game Wednesday night, the WNBA said Thursday. 

The hit happened with 6 minutes and 52 seconds left in the second quarter of the Fever-Mercury game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Thomas’ fist made contact with Clark’s throat while the two scrambled for the ball. 

In the moment, no foul was called by referees, which Fever coach Stephanie White called “egregious” in comments after the game. 

“The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it,” White said, adding that the lack of a foul in the moment was “absolutely unacceptable.”

The WNBA’s League Office can review any game and assign a flagrant foul, or reclassify a called foul as a flagrant foul, if they believe such measures are warranted. The WNBA’s review “deemed (Thomas) to have committed a non-basketball act” by recklessly making contact with Clark’s throat. 

The WNBA said that Thomas will serve her suspension on June 27, when the Mercury play the Toronto Tempos at home. 

This isn’t the first time the league has upgraded a foul against Clark. Last season, Marina Mabrey, playing for the Connecticut Sun at the time, was called for a technical foul in a game against Indiana. The league later upgraded it to a Flagrant 2.

Clark was also fouled while shooting a 3-pointer later in the second quarter. She fell to the ground after the shot and was seen grabbing her back as she got back up. That foul was not upgraded to a flagrant. Clark eventually left the game during the third quarter, after scoring 19 points and racking up eight assists in 20 minutes of play. The Mercury went on to win 111-109. 

Clark has a history of back issues, including missing a game against the Portland Fire in May because of it, according to CBS Sports. Clark was limited to 13 games last season due to lower-body issues. 

The Mercury and the Fever also played on Monday night, a game during which there were six technical fouls called and one ejection. Clark picked up her fifth technical of the season in that game. The team petitioned the league to have it rescinded, but the WNBA confirmed that the technical will stand.