WNBA suspends Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for one game after throat contact with Indiana's Caitlin Clark
The league reviewed a second-quarter incident in which Thomas struck Clark's throat with her fist and issued a one-game suspension, calling the act a Flagrant 2 foul.
The WNBA announced that Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas will miss Saturday's game against the Toronto team after the league classified a second-quarter incident as a Flagrant 2 foul. The review determined Thomas made contact with her fist to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark's throat with 6:52 left in the second period, an act the officials did not call during the game.
Thomas will serve the suspension when the Mercury travel to Toronto on Saturday.
"It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it," Fever head coach Stephanie White said after the game.
Fever team president Kelly Krauskopf issued a statement emphasizing player safety, praising the league's review and noting the team's focus on Clark and the upcoming schedule.
The incident follows previous league actions that upgraded fouls involving Clark, including a technical foul to a Flagrant 2 last season. The Mercury won the Wednesday game 111-109, and Clark left in the third quarter after a back issue, finishing with 19 points and eight assists.