06/25/26 02:09:00
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06/25 14:08 CDT WNBA suspends Alyssa Thomas 1 game for hit to Caitlin Clark's
throat
WNBA suspends Alyssa Thomas 1 game for hit to Caitlin Clark's throat
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- The WNBA has suspended Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas for one game
after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark's throat in Wednesday
night's matchup against Indiana.
It happened with 6:52 left in the second quarter and was deemed to be a
non-basketball act. The league gave Thomas a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty for it. No
foul was called on the play by officials.
The WNBA is allowed to review a game to reclassify a Flagrant foul or to
classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game.
Thomas will serve her suspension on Saturday when the Mercury visit the Toronto
Tempo.
"It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call ... You got to call it," said
Fever coach Stephanie White after the game. "You're coming in here aware of
what happened two nights ago and that (expletive) still happens? Absolutely
unacceptable."
This isn't the first time the league has upgraded a foul against Clark. Last
season Marina Mabrey, when she was with Connecticut, received a technical foul
in a game against Indiana. The league later upgraded it to a Flagrant 2.
The two teams also played on Monday night and there were six technical fouls
called and one ejection. Clark picked up her fifth technical in that game. The
team is petitioning the league to have it rescinded. The physical play carried
over to Wednesday's game which the Mercury won 111-109.
Clark left the game in the third quarter as she was dealing with a back issue.
She appeared to tweak her back in the second quarter when she was fouled
shooting a 3-pointer in the second quarter. She fell to the ground and was
rubbing her back as she stood up. In the first quarter she went back to the
tunnel and returned to the bench wearing a wrap around her back.
She finished the game with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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