Alyssa Thomas faced online harassment and safety concerns she says the WNBA has failed to address, after her one-game suspension for contact with Caitlin Clark's throat during a Phoenix Mercury matchup against Indiana last week.
The six-time All-Star came forward Tuesday with complaints that extend beyond the punishment itself. Thomas said she received death threats and racial slurs following the incident, which the league later classified as a flagrant 2 foul for a non-basketball act, though no call was made during play.
"It's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball," Thomas told reporters. "A lot of us didn't even know the play took place until after the game. Now we're being painted as thugs. There's death threats out on us. It's really unacceptable."
Thomas characterized the contact as a "complete accident" and said her frustration centered on what she views as the league's inadequate response to player safety concerns. She learned of her suspension roughly ten minutes before the announcement hit social media.
"It's not even about the suspension," Thomas said. "If that's what they felt was necessary in that moment, then so be it. But I think there's a lot of other plays that you can say the same about."
The Mercury forward drew particular attention to the online threats directed at players and their families following the game. "People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff. There's a difference between trolling and there's a difference between hatred," she said. "The hatred that we're experiencing over a play that, honestly, was a complete accident, no one even knew it happened. It's just unfortunate."
Thomas notably cited the silence from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy. It's no surprise. You could see what's being said on social media. Yeah, it's unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That's unfortunate when our lives are being threatened."
The league has authority to reclassify fouls after reviewing game footage, which is how the contact with Clark was upgraded to a flagrant 2 despite officials not calling a foul during play. Thomas served the suspension Saturday when Phoenix faced Toronto.
Indiana coach Stephanie White has also voiced concerns about league discipline and on-court safety. After an earlier matchup between the teams saw six technical fouls and one ejection, White called the situation "absolutely unacceptable."
Author James Rodriguez: "Thomas is right to demand the league take player safety seriously, and that means cracking down on the toxic online abuse just as hard as it polices physicality on the court."
Comments