WNBA suspends Alyssa Thomas for 'recklessly' hitting Caitlin Clark in throat during scramble

The WNBA reviewed the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incidental from Wednesday night.

The league seemingly didn’t similar what it saw.

Phoenix Mercury guardant Alyssa Thomas received a Flagrant Foul 2 punishment and a one-game suspension aft the league reviewed her interaction with Clark during the Mercury’s 111-109 triumph implicit the Indiana Fever astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Phoenix Mercury guardant Alyssa Thomas received a one-game suspension aft driving her fist into the pharynx of Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark during the June 24 game. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

The WNBA announced Thursday that Thomas was punished for "recklessly making interaction with her fist to the pharynx area" of Clark.

CAITLIN CLARK EXITS EARLY WITH BACK ISSUE AS FEVER FALL TO MERCURY

The play occurred with 6:52 remaining successful the 2nd quarter. Clark drove toward the handbasket and went to the level arsenic aggregate players fought for the ball. During the scramble, Thomas appeared to thrust her fist into Clark's cervix and pharynx area.

No foul was called connected the play during the game.

The WNBA said connected Thursday that Thomas’ enactment was deemed a non-basketball act. The league besides noted that its bureau has the ability, aft reviewing immoderate game, to reclassify a flagrant foul oregon classify immoderate foul not called arsenic a flagrant during a game. The league tin besides enforce a good oregon suspension.

Thomas volition service the suspension June 27, erstwhile the Mercury sojourn the Toronto Tempo.

The WNBA suspended Phoenix Mercury guardant Alyssa Thomas for committing a Flagrant 2 foul against Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The ruling came aft Fever manager Stephanie White blasted the officiating pursuing the loss.

"We person a generational endowment and a WNBA superstar who had 2 inexpensive shots close determination that weren’t called," White said aft the game.

White called the no-call connected Thomas "absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful."

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White besides criticized a abstracted play wherever Clark landed awkwardly aft being fouled by Valeriane Ayayi connected a 3-point attempt. Officials reviewed the play, but did not upgrade it to a flagrant foul. Clark grabbed astatine her backmost afterward and aboriginal near the crippled and did not return. She finished with 19 points and 8 assists successful 20 minutes earlier exiting.

Caitlin Clark near the Indiana Fever's Wednesday crippled against the Phoenix Mercury aft suffering a backmost injury. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Thomas suspension won’t alteration the result. Phoenix inactive won the game, 111-109.

But the league’s ruling does matter.

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It means White’s complaints weren’t conscionable postgame vexation aft a adjacent loss. At slightest connected the Thomas play, the WNBA admitted referees missed an evident flagrant foul.

That’s the portion that should interest the league.

Clark is the WNBA’s biggest draw, and the speech astir however she’s officiated isn’t going away. The league tin importune it is reviewing plays aft the fact, and successful this case, it did.

But it’s just to inquire wherefore a fist to the pharynx country had to hold until the adjacent time to go a Flagrant 2.