Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas stated she has been subjected to racial slurs and threats against her family since an on-court incident last week in which her hand made contact with the neck of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
The play occurred during the Mercury's game against the Fever in Indianapolis. As players scrambled for a loose ball, Thomas's right hand came down on Clark, who winced in pain and later left the game with a back injury. No foul was called at the time of the incident.
Thomas received a one-game suspension following the play. After returning to practice, she described the online abuse she has experienced. "Our families are being threatened. Kids are being threatened. People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff," Thomas, who is Black, told reporters. "There's a difference between trolling and there's a difference between hatred. The hatred that we're experiencing over a play that was, honestly, a complete accident, no one even knew what happened, it's just unfortunate."
Thomas also expressed frustration with the WNBA and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's response. "The league has to do better in this instance," Thomas said. "Honestly, I didn't even know I was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was being put on social media. We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy. It's no surprise. You can see what's being said on social media. It's unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That's unfortunate when our lives are being threatened."
She criticized the broader narrative surrounding the incident. "Just the whole narrative that's being painted out there, it's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball," Thomas continued. "A lot of us, myself included, didn't even know the play took place until after the game. And now we're being painted as thugs. And [there are] death threats out on us, so it's really unacceptable. It's something that needs to change in this league, and I'm just really sick and tired of it."
WNBA spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The incident has drawn significant attention on social media, with some users interpreting the foul as intentional and racially motivated. Conservative commentators have amplified these claims, with one comparing the incident to the murder of George Floyd and another sharing an altered video clip that exaggerated the impact of the foul.