During a game on June 24, 2026, between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with Caitlin Clark’s throat area while both players scrambled for a loose ball. Referees on the court did not call a foul at the time, and the Mercury went on to win the game 111-109.

The moment was caught on camera, and the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark video spread rapidly across social media within hours. Fans, analysts, and former players immediately reacted, with many calling the contact dangerous and deliberate.

Fever head coach Stephanie White was furious in her post-game press conference. “The fist on the throat, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous,” White said, leaving no room for ambiguity about how she viewed the play.

Caitlin Clark also left the game with a back injury and did not play in the Fever’s next contest. Her absence added more heat to an already intense situation.

WNBA Reviews the Play Flagrant 2 and Suspension for Alyssa Thomas

The WNBA league office reviewed the play the following day and took action. The league ruled it a Flagrant 2 foul, finding that Thomas had “recklessly” made contact with her fist to the throat area of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Thomas was suspended for one game and fined $1,000.

The game’s referees had missed the contact in real time, but the league reviewed the play and retroactively assessed the Mercury forward the Flagrant 2 foul and a suspension, deeming the act a non-basketball play.

Many fans and commentators felt the one-game suspension was too light given the nature of the contact. Fans called for everything from lawsuits to harsher penalties. Former WNBA player and NFL reporter Stacey Dales called it “a pivotal moment in Caitlin Clark’s season and career” and said it was time the league adjusted its approach.

Alyssa Thomas Speaks Out “It Was a Complete Accident”

After the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark foul video went viral, Thomas addressed the fallout publicly. Thomas told reporters the play was “a complete accident” and that the backlash had turned into something far beyond sport. “There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred  and the hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that honestly was a complete accident,” Thomas said. “It’s just unfortunate, but the league has to do better.”

Thomas also revealed the severity of what she and her teammates were facing off the court. Thomas said she and her family had been threatened and that she had been called racial slurs in the wake of the incident. She directly accused WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert of not doing enough to protect players.

“We still have yet to hear anything from [Engelbert],” Thomas said, before the commissioner eventually released a statement. “You can see what’s being said. As usual, she remains silent, and that’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened.”

Thomas did not publicly apologize to Caitlin Clark for the foul, describing the contact as accidental and shifting the focus to the threats she and her teammates received after the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark video went viral.

Did Alyssa Thomas Apologize to Caitlin Clark?

This became one of the most searched questions after the incident. Based on all available public reporting, Alyssa Thomas did not issue a formal or direct apology to Caitlin Clark. Thomas maintained that the contact was unintentional and a product of a competitive play. She framed much of her public response around the threats and harassment directed at her, rather than addressing Clark directly.

Clark herself, in her public comments on July 3, did not call for an apology and did not mention Thomas by name when speaking about the harassment issue. Clark simply stated: “The harassment, the hate, none of that is OK. That goes for the opposing team we play. There should never be a question of character.

The two players have not appeared to exchange any public words directly with each other since the incident.

Cathy Engelbert Responds  But Only After Pressure

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s delayed response became a major flashpoint in the controversy. Thomas had called her out publicly before Engelbert said anything at all. Once the pressure mounted, Engelbert released a statement: “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. We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she said she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable.”

Many players and observers felt Engelbert’s response came too late and did not address the deeper issues of officiating quality, player protection, and the league’s handling of such incidents. Cathy Engelbert has faced sustained criticism from players and fans over how the WNBA manages on-court safety and disciplinary consistency.

Caitlin Clark Breaks Her Silence

Caitlin Clark waited more than a week before speaking publicly about the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark foul video. When she did, she was measured, clear, and firm. Clark stated: “I did think it was a flagrant foul and our reffing just needs to do better. The league’s just got to do better protecting our players in that regard.”

On the specific question of whether the foul was obvious, Clark left no doubt. “I don’t think it was up for debate. You can go back and watch the clip. I think it was straightforward,” she said.Clark also addressed how she felt seeing the play still being discussed days later on television. She said she felt bad for the players who were actually playing in other games that weekend, whose performances were being overshadowed by ongoing coverage of the incident. She also suggested the league improve its technology and pay referees like full-time employees to address the officiating problem.

What stood out was Clark’s stance on the harassment Thomas received. Despite being the one hit, Clark condemned the threats and hate directed at Thomas and her Mercury teammates, showing a level of sportsmanship that was widely praised.

Alyssa Thomas Stats: The Player Behind the Controversy

It is important to understand who Alyssa Thomas is beyond the controversy. The 34-year-old forward is one of the most decorated players in WNBA history. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star, a four-time All-WNBA selection, a seven-time WNBA All-Defensive Team member, and holds the WNBA all-time record for regular-season triple-doubles. She also set single-season WNBA records for assists, triple-doubles in a season, and assisted points.

In the 2026 season, Thomas has averaged 14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game over 26 regular-season appearances strong numbers for a player who remains one of the most versatile forwards in the league.

In her first season with the Phoenix Mercury in 2025, she averaged 15.4 points, a league-leading 9.2 assists, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, shooting a career-high 53.2 percent from the floor.

Thomas is, by any measure, one of the WNBA’s elite players. The foul incident does not erase that record, but it has become the moment many casual fans associate with her name in 2026.

Alyssa Thomas Wife: Her Personal Life

Many people searched for information about Alyssa Thomas’s personal life after the controversy brought her into the spotlight. Alyssa Thomas’s partner is DeWanna Bonner, a fellow WNBA star and her current teammate on the Phoenix Mercury.

Thomas and Bonner, who were teammates on the Connecticut Sun, announced their engagement in July 2023 after being publicly together since Valentine’s Day 2021. Thomas proposed to Bonner, and the Sun posted the moment on social media.

In the days following the foul incident, DeWanna Bonner was among those who received death threats alongside Thomas, with their personal information reportedly leaked online. The threats against Thomas and Bonner drew widespread condemnation from players across the league.

Sophie Cunningham Reacts  And Calls Out the WNBA

Sophie Cunningham, Indiana Fever guard and one of Caitlin Clark’s closest teammates, was one of the most vocal voices following the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark play. On her podcast “Show Me Something,” Cunningham slammed the WNBA for failing to protect Clark and revealed that she had not seen Thomas’s action happen live. “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,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham was equally pointed in her broader criticism. “Unfortunately, this type of stuff happens every single game to her and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it,” she said.

Sophie Cunningham was also at the center of a separate but related controversy when the WNBA released a 30th anniversary poster that did not include Caitlin Clark but did feature Cunningham. Cunningham herself was baffled by the decision, asking publicly: “Why would you ever put me on it?” The exclusion of Clark from the promotional material was seen by many as another sign of the league’s difficult relationship with its biggest star.

The Bigger Picture: What This Means for the WNBA

The Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark foul video did more than spark outrage about one play. It exposed deep cracks in how the WNBA handles officiating, player safety, and public communication. Every argument about the incident became a cultural flashpoint  touching on race, gender, celebrity, and the complicated politics of the WNBA’s most scrutinized superstar. The Alyssa Thomas suspension did not solve the WNBA’s problem. It exposed it.

Clark averaged 21.2 points on 43.0% shooting in 2026, both career bests, along with 4.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game heading into the All-Star break. She remains the WNBA’s most-watched and most-discussed player, and incidents like the one on June 24 will continue to test both the league and its ability to balance protecting players while managing the broader cultural conversation around women’s basketball.

FAQs

Has Alyssa Thomas apologized to Caitlin Clark?

Alyssa Thomas has not issued a formal, direct public apology to Caitlin Clark. After the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark foul video went viral, Thomas described the contact as a complete accident during a loose ball scramble and did not offer a personal apology to Clark. Thomas instead focused her public comments on the death threats and racial slurs she and her teammates received in the aftermath. Caitlin Clark herself did not call for an apology when she broke her silence in early July, and the two players have not addressed each other directly through the media. The WNBA’s official disciplinary action  a Flagrant 2 foul and a one-game suspension serves as the league’s formal response to what happened on the court.

What is the true story about Caitlin Clark?

Caitlin Clark is the Indiana Fever guard widely credited with transforming WNBA viewership and attendance since entering the league in 2024. In 2026, she is averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, both scoring and shooting marks that are career bests. The “true story” behind the controversy is that Clark has faced a pattern of physical contact throughout her WNBA career that referees have repeatedly failed to call in real time  only to have the league upgrade fouls on review. The June 24 Alyssa Thomas incident was the latest and perhaps most visible example of this pattern. Clark has consistently condemned hate and harassment directed at other players, including Thomas, even when she is the one who was fouled. She is both the league’s biggest draw and the subject of its most polarizing debates.

What happened last night to Caitlin Clark?

On the night of June 24, 2026, during a game between the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury, Caitlin Clark was struck in the throat area by Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas during a scramble for a loose ball. No foul was called by the referees in real time. Clark left the game later with a back injury and did not play in the Fever’s next scheduled contest. The WNBA reviewed the play the following day and upgraded it to a Flagrant 2 foul, suspending Alyssa Thomas for one game and fining her $1,000. Clark broke her public silence about the incident on July 3, calling for better officiating and improved player protection from the league. She also condemned the harassment and death threats received by Thomas and her Mercury teammates following the viral spread of the Alyssa Thomas Caitlin Clark video.