It was another rough day in the office for Caitlin Clark.
During Wednesday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark appeared to take a shot to the throat from Mercury star Alyssa Thomas.
It happened with 6:52 left in the second quarter, as Clark went to the ground while trying to get close to the basket. Thomas and teammate DeWanna Bonner ended up on top of the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, with Thomas’ arm appearing to make contact with Clark’s neck. Thomas even stepped over the Fever guard.
Surprisingly, no foul was called, and play continued.
Here is a look at that sequence.
Alyssa Thomas with the punch to Caitlin Clark’s throat
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) June 25, 2026
No foul on the play pic.twitter.com/aX7p5CtiGO
This latest incident further fuels the notion that Clark has a big target on her back around the WNBA. Frustration is also growing within the Fever over the treatment Clark is receiving from officials, who did not call a foul on Thomas for the play.
It even got worse for Clark later in the contest, as she exited the game in the second half after a dangerous closeout from Phoenix defender Valeriane Ayayi after a 3-point attempt. Ayayi was called for a foul, but it was not upgraded to a flagrant one.
Clark managed to come up with a solid production despite the game’s physicality, scoring 19 points on 5/9 shooting from the floor and 6/6 from the foul line, but she was unable to help her team down the stretch. Phoenix took the win, 111-109, to even the regular-season series at 1-1.














