WNBA star Alyssa Thomas receives a massive punishment for a controversial moment against Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever recently locked horns with the Phoenix Mercury in a high-intensity WNBA game. After the final buzzer, the Fever were handed a 111-109 defeat.
Advertisement
However, one particular moment from Mercury star Alyssa Thomas against Fever’s Caitlin Clark caught the eye of most WNBA fans.
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
WNBA referees ignore Alyssa Thomas’ brutal attack on Caitlin Clark
The moment in question happened during the second quarter of the Fever vs. Mercury game when Clark fell down in the paint while driving the ball.
Instantly, multiple Mercury stars, including Thomas, attempted to take the ball away from Clark. However, for some reason, Thomas decided to punch Clark’s neck when she was down on the floor.
On such a dirty play, one would expect the ref to instantly call a flagrant 2 foul and throw Thomas out of the game.
Advertisement
However, that’s not what happened: The refs not only allowed the play to continue, they didn’t even call a common foul on Thomas. To make matters worse, Mercury’s X handle mocked Clark in a now-deleted tweet.
WNBA punishes Alyssa Thomas for Caitlin Clark punch after fans’ outrage
Clark, being one of the biggest stars in the WNBA, had fans defending her on social media, especially considering she wasn’t at fault.
After facing so much pressure from fans, the WNBA finally responded on X, stating, “Upon postgame review, the Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas has received a flagrant foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension for recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area of… Caitlin Clark.”
Advertisement
While this is the right decision, it’s surprising that it came after the major outrage caused by WNBA fans and experts alike.
Ideally, Thomas should have been punished during the game itself. It could have also changed the outcome for the Fever, and they could have won their battle against the Mercury.
Read more:
