The Phoenix Mercury has deleted a social media post that drew criticism from fans who perceived it as making light of an incident involving Caitlin Clark. The deleted post featured a stick figure in a DeWanna Bonner jersey with a ponytail and headband, lying on the ground with the caption "De-Wanna piece of this?!?".
The team removed the content after it faced backlash, particularly in the context of a recent play where Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with Clark's neck. USA Today reported that the Mercury took down the post to avoid further confusion.
The doodle depicted a play from a recent game where Bonner scored on a foul and made the subsequent free throw. The Mercury has a history of posting similar illustrated recaps of key moments in their games.
However, the controversy is largely tied to an incident during a game where Thomas pushed down on Clark's neck. Despite the contact, the play initially did not result in a foul call on the court. Fever head coach Stephanie White stated that the play was "egregious" and should have been called.
Following a review, the WNBA upgraded the play to a Flagrant Foul 2 against Thomas. The league also issued Thomas a one-game suspension and a $1,000 fine for "recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area of Caitlin Clark." Fever team president Kelly Krauskopf acknowledged the league's action, emphasizing player safety and stating the team's focus remains on preparation for upcoming games.
This incident was not the only contentious moment in the recent series between the teams. The game where the Thomas-Clark play occurred also saw six technical fouls and one ejection. At one point during the game, Clark and Bonner were separated by a referee after exchanging words, an event some observers linked to the now-deleted social media post.