WNBA commissioner faces criticism over player safety after Alyssa Thomas receives threats

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she has been the target of death threats, threats against her family and racial slurs online after she was suspended for a flagrant foul on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Thomas added that personal addresses were leaked and that she learned of the suspension only minutes before it was posted on social media.

Thomas said she has not heard directly from league commissioner Cathy Engelbert despite the harassment directed at Mercury players. A source familiar with the matter said Engelbert exchanged texts with Thomas and instructed league security to contact Phoenix security, but Thomas said no follow-up meeting was arranged.

Mercury teammate DeWanna Bonner, who also received threats and racial slurs, said she shared the messages with team security, which has been in touch with Phoenix police. Bonner said she has not heard from Engelbert in years, even after reporting similar threats following her departure from the Fever.

The league’s “No Space For Hate” initiative, launched before the 2025 season, has been cited by players as insufficient. In an email to The Athletic, Engelbert said the WNBA “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate” and that the league’s security team is working with the Mercury to protect players.

"The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority," Engelbert said.

"It’s time for them to step up and have our backs in these instances," Thomas added.

The incident follows a June 24 game in which referees did not call a foul as Thomas pushed her fist against Clark’s neck; the league later retroactively classified the play as a flagrant 2 foul and issued a one-game suspension.