Thomas says she's received online abuse after Clark incident

Alyssa Thomas said she has received death threats and racial slurs after her one-game WNBA suspension stemming from a contact incident involving her fist near Caitlin Clark’s throat during last week’s game against Indiana. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the Phoenix Mercury practice facility, Thomas also criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, saying more should have been done to protect players. Thomas said many players, including her, did not learn about the foul until after the game, and argued the issue is primarily safety, not the suspension itself. She said addresses were leaked and “crazy pictures” circulated online. Engelbert responded Tuesday night by saying the league condemns all forms of hate and that it is coordinating with the Phoenix Mercury organization and its security team. The incident occurred with 6:52 left in the second quarter and was reviewed as a Flagrant Foul 2 by the league, even though officials did not call a foul at the time. Thomas said the threats continued after her suspension announcement online.