WNBA's Alyssa Thomas Says She Got Death Threats Over Caitlin Clark Altercation

After her altercation with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas revealed the extent of the threats she received.

Thomas said she has received death threats in the days since the incident.

"We're so concerned with safety on the court, but time and time again we're having people threatening our lives," she said. "...The league remains silent. I'm sick and tired of it."

"The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate," commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league's top priority. We are aware of Alyssa Thomas' comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community. The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players."

Things got chippy during last Monday's contest between the Fever and Mercury, with five technical fouls assessed following a scuffle between the two sides. They met again on Wednesday, which is when the incident occurred.

Clark fell to the floor on a loose ball, and Thomas hit Clark's throat with her fist while trying to get the ball.

While there was no foul called on the play, the WNBA announced the following day that Thomas would be issued a flagrant 2 and given a one-game suspension. The league called the play a "non-basketball act."

Fever head coach Stephanie White gave her opinion on the play after the game.

"The fact that it was a no-call," White told reporters. "… I brought it to the attention of the officials at halftime, yet we still had 11 fouls in the fourth quarter to their two? They still shot 24 free throws in the second half? … You got to call it. It's absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful. … absolutely unacceptable."

White added that Clark "is not called the same way everybody else is called" and said, "we have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots in this game that weren't called. I can say it again, absolutely unacceptable."

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets questioned Thomas' suspension, calling it "extremely disappointing."

"The people involved were not questioned at all," he told reporters. "It's extremely disappointing. No one from the league called AT, our security team, or myself about what we felt like happened in this situation."

WNBA officiating has been a topic of conversation in recent years, and the incident between Clark and Thomas only led to more dialogue amongst fans.