Overview
- The WNBA reviewed the June 24 loose‑ball play, upgraded Alyssa Thomas’s contact with Caitlin Clark to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.
- Thomas and other players reported receiving death threats and racist messages after the episode, and the league said its security team has been in contact with affected teams.
- A Sports Business Journal story that Adam Silver pushed Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Thomas has been widely circulated but disputed by WNBA officials.
- Silver publicly said on Thursday that Clark has become a “political football” and that WNBA officiating needs improvement, comments that have renewed calls for Engelbert to be more transparent.
- WNBPA leaders have scheduled a meeting with Engelbert to press the league for proactive steps on online harassment, game‑day safety and betting‑related risks as attention to Clark raises commercial and reputational stakes.