Overview
- The contact occurred during a loose‑ball scramble and was not called on the court on June 24; the WNBA later upgraded the play to a Flagrant‑2 and suspended Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for one game with a $1,000 fine.
- Thomas says she and several teammates have received death threats and racist slurs online after the clip circulated, and she criticized Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not publicly responding to those threats.
- League sources and reporting told USA TODAY and other outlets that Engelbert exchanged texts with Thomas, offered a call, and directed league security to contact the Phoenix Mercury after learning of threats.
- The WNBA issued a statement condemning hate, confirmed its security team has been in contact with the Mercury, and said it is committed to protecting players, leaving a public perception gap between the league’s account and Thomas’s remarks.
- The case has intensified scrutiny of in‑game officiating, the league’s authority to upgrade uncalled plays after games, and the practical burden on teams and the WNBA to protect players from rapid online harassment.