Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received a one-game suspension at the end of June after she struck Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in the throat (video here).
However, it seems that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wasn’t going to discipline Thomas until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped in, according to a report from Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Silver “implored her” to issue the suspension.
A WNBA spokesperson said it was “absolutely false” that Engelbert didn’t plan to suspend Thomas, but the report from Sports Business Journal states otherwise.
Since no foul was called at the time of the play, Engelbert reportedly believed a suspension was “too steep.”
Silver, on the other hand, thought it was worthy of a flagrant.
“Meanwhile, those same sources said Adam Silver believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul, that he felt badly for Clark and told Engelbert she had to act,” Friend wrote.
The fallout from the incident has been a big one in the WNBA. Thomas admitted she received death threats and has even been called racial slurs on social media.
Clark then said it was “not acceptable” to see the conversation of that play being talked about weeks later instead of people focusing on the play on the court.
Engelbert’s time as WNBA Commissioner has been up and down, and this incident certainly hasn’t helped.
