The WNBA 's decision to suspend Alyssa Thomas for one game after assessing her with a retroactive flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark during the Indiana Fever-Phoenix Mercury game has sparked a lot of debate.
For former WNBA star and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, the league's review itself was unusual, and its decision to change a no-call to a flagrant foul was unprecedented. She also argued that the resulting suspension was unfair, as it appeared to be influenced more by a viral image than by the full context of the actual play.
"Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark , both dominant players," said Ogwumike. "But Alyssa plays on the edge, I know her. And Caitlin sometimes embellishes, in certain instances…This created a situation in which the league is now forced to be reactive. And instead of having a controlled, not just calling fouls, now the league is reacting and doing something it rarely does on a non-call and instituting a suspension and to me, that was unique."
Thomas landed on a fallen Clark, and she hit her throat with a closed fist. In real time, no foul was called. However, replays clearly showed what Thomas did, including her facial reaction.
Still, Ogwumike argued that it was wrong for the league to suspend Thomas based on that image because it did not capture the full sequence.
"That largely happened because of the optics. In-game flow, if you're watching in-game speed, I didn't really notice too much because people fall down all the time. And when narratives are based off on a freeze frame, that can create a huge problem, and the league was reacting to the optics of that image," she added.
According to Ogwumike, Clark — the supposed victim — even stood up after the dust-up and continued playing.
"But the bigger issue here is that in that situation, watching it in real time, both players who are known to make their issues known got up and kept going. That's why I have a problem, because if you're looking at the reaction even to this day, it breaks my heart. After all, players, even in Alyssa Thomas' caliber, whether you think she did it intentionally or not, she's doing it with a heightened level of vitriol right now based on what this situation has created ," she added.
Mercury head coach Nate Thibbetts also called out the league's suspension process. Not only did he wonder why the WNBA would even review the play, but he was also at a loss as to why they didn't even talk to the players involved, including Thomas herself, to get a better picture of the incident.
"I'd like to hit on my disappointment in the suspension process by our league and our leaders in the W. This was not a thorough investigation in my opinion," Tibbetts said . "The people in this league know who AT is," he said. "She's a competitor, she's a winner, and she's tough. The one thing she is not is cheap."
This was not the first time Thomas had been involved in a controversial play. There was also no need to interview her during the review process, as the full video footage — not a single freeze-frame image — clearly showed what happened. Regardless of whether the contact was intentional, the play warranted a flagrant foul.
As for Ogwumike, her reaction was not surprising, given that she has rarely had positive things to say about Clark since the beginning.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
