PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas is calling on the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert to take action after she was on the receiving end of death threats and online abuse following her suspension.
The WNBA handed Thomas a one-game suspension for “recklessly” making contact with Caitlin Clark‘s throat during the Phoenix Mercury‘s 111-109 win over the Indiana Fever on June 24. Thomas said the league failed to reach out to her about the suspension or in the aftermath of the on-court incident.
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“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy (Engelbert). It’s no surprise,” Thomas said after practice on Tuesday, June 30. “You can see what’s being said on social media … but as usual, she remains silent and that’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened. … The league has to do better.”
Following Thomas’ comments, Engelbert issued a statement that says the league “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate.”
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority,” Engelbert said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community. The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.”
Earlier Tuesday, Thomas detailed the “crazy” week that she’s experienced in her first public comments since her suspension. Thomas said the fallout directly impacted her family’s safety, citing racial slurs, death threats and even her address being leaked online. Thomas said the league has a duty to protect and support all players.
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“I think the biggest thing is it’s just about our safety. We’re so concerned about the safety on the court, but time and time again, we’re having people threatening our lives,” Thomas said. “At some point the league needs to (take) a stand on it. … I’m sick and tired of it and it’s time for (the league) to step up and have our backs.”
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) goes up for a basket against the Indiana Fever on June 24, 2026.
Thomas served her one-game suspension during the Mercury’s 89-80 win over the Toronto Tempo on Saturday. Ahead of the matchup, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts voiced his frustration over the league’s handling of the situation, saying, “the people involved were not questioned at all” or contacted ahead of Thomas’ suspension.
Thomas echoed Tibbetts’ sentiments on Tuesday and said she didn’t learn of her suspension “until 10 minutes before it was put out on social media.” Thomas denied any malicious intent and called the contact with Clark “a complete accident,” noting that she “didn’t even know that play happened” until she saw clips of the incident online after the win.
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“If you watch the playback, no one in the stands, their bench, knew that it happened,” Thomas said. “The whole narrative that’s being painted out there, it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball. A lot of us, myself included, didn’t even know it took place until after the game and now we’re being painted as thugs and there’s death threats out on us. So it’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league.”
Thomas said she experienced similar vitriol during the 2024 WNBA playoffs when the Connecticut Sun, who Thomas played for from 2014-2024, defeated the Fever in the first round. (Thomas and the Sun were coached that season by Stephanie White, who took over as head coach of the Fever the following season, in 2025.)
“I think in my 11-year career I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said at the time. “I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media and there’s no place for it. … We don’t want fans that are going to degrade us or call us racial names.”
The WNBA unveiled the “No Space For Hate” platform ahead of the 2025 season, which the league described as “a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.”
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However, Thomas said she’s seen no changes or improvements since the initiative launched.
“There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred,” Thomas said. “The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that, honestly, it was a complete accident.”
USA TODAY reached out to the WNBA for comment.
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas calls for WNBA to protect all players after death threats
