Thomas came out a winner. She did what she did and got a one-game suspension. That’s not a deterrent, it’s an invitation to do it again.
You could say this was a surprise on Thursday when the WNBA suspended Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for one game after “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Fever star Caitlin Clark.
The league doesn’t suspend players for physical play. In fact, it encourages them to play that way without consequences. Thomas was not even tossed for that play on Wednesday night in the Mercury’s 111-109 victory over the Indiana Fever. Shoot, it was not even a foul.
Without the outcry from Fever coach Stephanie White and Clark fans, Thomas likely would not have been suspended. That said, the one-game suspension is a joke because it doesn’t change anything.
It all started when Clark tumbled onto her side after making contact with Mercury defender Lexi Held as she drove to the lane to score. Held, Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner were all over Clark as they tried to seize the ball from her. The kicker was when Thomas thrust her fist at Clark’s throat and stepped over the Fever guard.
Defending is one thing. Throwing a fist at a player’s throat is another.
It was obvious that Thomas intended to injure Clark. There was no reason to do what she did, and it was dangerous. Not only was the play worthy of a suspension and ejection, but it was also an assault. Plain and simple.
Shame on the refs for not having control of this game! Go back to Monday night when Sophie Cunningham and Thomas’ wife Bonner exchanged words, and Cunningham playfully mocked Bonner by finger-pointing after Bonner finger-pointed that Cunningham was fouled.
In Wednesday night’s rematch, the refs should have warned both the Fever and Mercury that such nonsense wouldn’t be tolerated. Instead, they let it continue. That is a big reason why White went off on the refs in her postgame presser.
But this is more than a rant about refs. The league lets stuff go by, perhaps mindlessly believing that publicity like this can be “good for the NBA.” It isn’t! We’ve seen players fighting each other far too often, and you rarely even see that in the NBA anymore.
It’s understandable why Clark left the game with a “back injury.” Remember, Bonner had hard feelings toward the Fever last year after she did not get playing time, which led to a trade to the Mercury so she could be with her wife.
Indeed, it’s frustrating that Clark had to leave because refs didn’t have the guts to eject Thomas.
The WNBA won’t survive if it caters to goons like Thomas. Those types are branded “overachievers,” and somehow the league believes that makes them and their play marketable to fans.
The outcome is that a superstar like Clark is treated like a random player. She doesn’t need “special treatment.” What she and others deserve is for competitors to play by the rules.
The worst part for me is that Thomas came out a winner! She did what she did and got a one-game suspension. That’s not a deterrent, it’s an invitation to do it again.
Bottom line? The WNBA can’t get out of its own way. It needs to elevate its game to pro status.
