WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Responds To Alyssa Thomas' Criticism

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jun 30, 2026 7:18 PM ET

Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury aren't hiding their frustration with the WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

During last Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Fever, the refs missed a loose-ball scuffle where Thomas hit Caitlin Clark in the throat. After the league reviewed this incident, Thomas was assessed a one-game suspension. Thomas claims her contact with Clark was an accident, but that apparently hasn't stopped fans from sending nasty messages to her.

“I’m crazy, you know, the playing the game, being suspended, just the whole narrative that’s being painted out there. It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball. A lot of us, myself included, didn’t even know the play took place until after, you know, the game,” Thomas said. “And, you know, now we’re being painted as thugs, and there’s death threats out on us. So it’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league.”

Thomas then called out Engelbert for not releasing a statement on the threats the Mercury have received over the past six days.

“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy,” Thomas told reporters. “You can see what’s being said … As usual, she remains silent, and that’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened.”

Well, it didn't take long for Engelbert to break her silence. She released a statement just two hours after Thomas put her on blast.

"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 said her 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."

The WNBA's leadership is under fire.

During last week's episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham ripped the WNBA for "doing nothing" to protect Clark from harsh fouls.

“None of our team saw it happen, because I promise you if we would have seen that happen then we would’ve had her back. Unfortunately, this type of [expletive] happens every single game to her and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing nothing about it,” Cunningham said. “You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting Caitlin in the throat. They are definitely targeting her, and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her.”

Suffice to say, the Mercury aren't the only team frustrated with Engelbert at the moment.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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