Mercury’s Thomas says received online abuse following WNBA suspension
Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for a game after making contact with her fist on Caitlin Clark’s throat. Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas says
Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for a game after making contact with her fist on Caitlin Clark’s throat. Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas says she has received death threats and been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat in last week’s WNBA match against Indiana. Thomas also criticised WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect the league’s players when she spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the team’s practice facility. “It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball,” Thomas said. “A lot of us – myself included – didn’t even know the play took place until after the game. Now we’re being painted as thugs. There are death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league, and I’m just really sick and tired of it.” Engelbert released a statement Tuesday night.
“The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate. The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority,” Engelbert said. “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 organisation and remain committed to protecting all players.” Thomas called the play a “complete accident”, but said her main concern was not the suspension. The si time All-Star said she did not know she was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was released on 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 are a lot of other plays that you can say the same about. The biggest thing is about our safety.
“We’re so concerned about the safety on the court, but time and time again, we’re having people threaten our lives. Leaking addresses out there. Putting crazy pictures that have nothing to do with basketball.” The play happened with 6:52 left in the second quarter in a game against Clark’s Indiana Fever on Wednesday 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 in the moment. 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. “People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff,” Thomas said. “There’s a difference between trolling, and there’s a difference between hatred. The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that, honestly, was a complete accident – no one even knew it happened.
The BriefWire