Caitlin Clark throat hit during WNBA loose ball scramble, sparking backlash and suspension
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was hit in the neck during a loose ball game, sparking outrage and a one-game suspension for Alyssa Thomas. Pakinomist’ Garrett Tenney reports on the ‘absolutely unacceptable’ incident and the coach’s reaction. Political analyst Gianno Caldwell discusses Clark’s huge influence on WNBA ratings, including a $2.2 billion deal, and the role of gender and race in the controversy.
NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas is the latest villain for Caitlin Clark fans after punching Clark in the throat during a game Wednesday night.
The umpires missed the hit in real time, but fans and the league office did not.
A viral clip of the fight in slow motion spread across social media, adding fuel to the ongoing culture war surrounding Clark’s physical treatment of opponents, which has been a controversial topic dating back to Clark’s rookie season in 2024.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
And less than 24 hours after the incident, the WNBA slapped Thomas with a one-game suspension for what was deemed a “reckless” and “un-basketball act.”
Who is the woman behind the battle?
If Thomas wasn’t in the WNBA, she says she would become a professional martial artist
In a 2019 interview with Nike PLAYlist, Thomas answered what sport she would have turned pro in had she not turned pro in basketball.
“Either boxing or MMA,” Thomas said.
If Thomas never turned professional in any sport, she said she would have gone into dentistry.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved going to the dentist. I was just fascinated by teeth and still am. I’m passionate about the whole process of cleaning,” according to a profile on WNBA.com.
The first time Thomas stepped on a basketball court, she had a ‘hissing fit’
Thomas was signed up to try out for basketball for the first time at age five by her mother, Tina, according to the WNBA.
Thomas said she “threw me all the way down the stairs, down the hall”, while her mother said: “She just threw a fit.”
WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR ‘INCONVENIENT CONDUCT’ FOR HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN TAIL DURING SCRAMBLE
Her parents didn’t let her win a popular board game
Thomas’ parents never took it easy on her playing “Candyland” when she was growing up.
“We weren’t the parents that just wanted to let you win,” Tina said, according to the WNBA.
“In life you have to fight, and how are you going to fight if you don’t teach your kids to fight? So if she fell over, ‘get up, you’re fine,’ and if she didn’t get up, you knew something was wrong.”
It was a parenting tactic also used by the father of New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who famously never let Jeter win at board or card games growing up to instill fierce competitiveness at an early age.
Thomas added that her mother was particularly tough on her and helped develop her toughness.
“It wasn’t easy by any means and it still isn’t easy,” Thomas said.
Thomas plays more physically because shoulder problems hamper her shooting ability
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas struggles to get above Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 24, 2026. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 111-109. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Thomas currently plays basketball with torn labrums in both of her shoulders.
The injuries are so severe that she completely lacks the structural integrity to raise her arms and shoot a traditional flowing jump shot. Instead, she is forced to use a stiff, one-handed pushing motion from her chest just to get the ball to the rim.
Because she can’t rely on outside shooting, Thomas adapted by leaning right into her physical frame. She drives straight into the teeth of opposing defenses and absorbs heavy contact in the paint to score closer to the basket.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is shown after falling in the lane as Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas watches the ball at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The brutal driving style requires her to initiate intense physical collisions on nearly every possession.
Despite the mechanical limitations and constant pain, the tactical shift worked. She transformed herself into a six-time All-Star, three-time First Team All-WNBA, an Olympic gold medalist and the undisputed triple-double queen of the WNBA.
Thomas has been the center of enormous criticism this week
The neck slap on Clark ignited a violent wave of backlash.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White led the charge and completely unloaded on Thomas and league officials during her postgame press conference.
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar that had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called,” White said, pointing directly to Thomas’ actions. “Totally unacceptable.”
White argued that Thomas regularly crosses the line from playing physical defense to inflicting dangerous, non-basketball contact.
“It’s completely egregious and completely disrespectful,” White continued, shaking off reporters. “The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
On Thursday, Fever president Kelly Krauskopf released a statement praising the decision to suspend Thomas.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league. We appreciate the WNBA’s review of last night’s incident and the actions we have taken. Right now, our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday,” Krauskopf wrote.
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and prominent conservative activist Jack Brewer said the fight would be considered a “hate crime” if the roles were reversed.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
“This would be considered a hate crime if it were the other way around,” Brewer told Pakinomist Digital.
Other critics have expressed their own outrage on social media.
