Caitlin Clark addresses controversy regarding Alyssa Thomas, officiating

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark addresses controversy regarding Alyssa Thomas, officiating

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 3, 2026 12:32 PM ET

The Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury were at the center of the WNBA season's biggest controversy.

Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark were scrambling for a loose ball when the Mercury forward put her fist on Clark's throat. The referees missed the call, but the league retroactively suspended Thomas for one game with a flagrant 2 foul.

The aftermath of the incident led to death threats and both Thomas and Fever coach Stephane White to call out the fans and the league for not protecting the players.

Now, Clark has also shared her two cents on the controversial foul call.

Caitlin Clark gives her thoughts on controversy

“I know what you guys are going to ask, and I did think it was a flagrant foul,” Clark told Forbes' Tony East. “...I don’t really think it was up for debate. Obviously, it wasn’t called in real time, but if you go back and watch the clip, I think it was pretty straightforward.”

Lengthy opening statement from Caitlin Clark: pic.twitter.com/fLlwYmvFLy
— Tony East (@TonyREast) July 3, 2026

Clark acknowledged that the referees have a hard job and that the players shouldn't be as harsh on them.

However, like most of her colleagues, she doesn't think the WNBA is doing enough to protect the players or hold referees accountable:

“I think overall the league just has to do better. We can treat the referees a little bit better ... The harassment, the hate, none of that is okay. That goes for the opposing team we play. That goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches ... I don’t want anybody to ever experience that,” Clark added. “I think a lot of people sometimes think I’m a robot. I’m not a robot. I have emotions, I have feelings, and it can be really difficult to go through a lot of that.”

Officiating has been a talking point in the WNBA and the NBA for quite a while now, obviously for the wrong reasons. WNBA players have been openly critical of Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

As for Clark, this isn't the first time she's been on the wrong end of a way-too-physical foul, so that's something the league will also have to keep an eye on.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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