Mercury guard Alyssa Thomas called on the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert to break their silence and address threats she's facing since her physical altercation with Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
Thomas was suspended one game after the WNBA found she was guilty of "recklessly making contact with her fist" on Clark's throat in their contentious game last week. Thomas, who termed the incident an accident, said she has been threatened and harassed online.
"We still have yet to hear anything yet from
Cathy. It's no surprise. You can see what's being said on social media," Thomas said Tuesday. "It's unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That's unfortunate when our lives are being threatened."
The league released a statement attributed to Engelbert later Tuesday.
"The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate," Engelbert said in the statement. "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 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."
Thomas was issued a retroactive flagrant foul and $1,000 fine after the game, which Phoenix won, 111-109.
She would not disclose any specific examples of the threats or share messages she has received, but many of the attacks were left visible on social media platforms.
"It's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball," Thomas said. "Now we're being painted as thugs and there's death threats out on us. It's really unacceptable, and something that needs to change in this league."
--Field Level Media
