Phoenix Mercury star guard Alyssa Thomas has been given a flagrant foul 2 by the WNBA office and suspended one game for “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark during Wednesday’s game between the teams.
The incident occurred with 6:52 left in the second quarter of the Mercury’s 111-109 triumph over host Indiana. No foul was called.
Thomas will serve the suspension Saturday when Phoenix visits the Toronto Tempo.
The WNBA office said it has the option to review games and “classify as flagrant any foul not called as such during a game.”
In this instance, Clark drove into the lane and fell on her side following contact with Phoenix defender Lexi Held. In the ensuing scramble for the ball, Thomas pushed her fist into Clark’s throat before getting up and stepping over Clark.
Fever coach Stephanie White was upset after the contest that Thomas wasn’t called for a foul.
“No. 1, you’ve got to call it. It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White said.
The teams also had played a testy contest two nights earlier in which a combined six technical fouls were called during Indiana’s 86-77 victory.
Thomas, 34, is a six-time All-Star. She is in her second season with the Mercury after playing 11 campaigns with the Connecticut Sun.
Thomas is averaging 14.7 points, 8.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds in 18 games this season.
Clark exited Wednesday’s game with 5:15 left in the third quarter due to back issues.
Clark, 24, is averaging a career-high 21.2 points, 8.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds through 17 games this season. She’s a two-time All-Star.
The Fever host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
