Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason is the latest sports analyst to come to Caitlin Clark's defense after a recent incident in which Clark was literally mugged during the Indiana Fever 's game against the Phoenix Mercury and later had to leave the game after suffering a back issue.
During the recent episode of his "Boomer and Gio" morning sports show on WFAN, the 1988 NFL MVP advised Clark to consider taking her talents to Europe or another foreign league because she is being beaten up by jealous peers and the WNBA isn't doing anything about it.
"She's been getting run over, steamrolled, shoved down, this one to the neck. Alyssa Thomas should get suspended. With the way that looks and the way that it comes across, I'm like this is what the WNBA has become?" said Esiason. " If I were Caitlin Clark , I would seriously consider going to play overseas somewhere and get the royal treatment and get real money.
Esiason singled out Mercury player Alyssa Thomas, who has a reputation for being a dirty player in the league. Thomas is the reason Napheesa Collier is out with an injury after a dangerous defensive play in which they collided, causing Phee to suffer a Grade 2 tear of 3 ligaments in her ankle and a muscle in her shin during Game 3 of the Minnesota Lynx 's playoff series against the Mercury last season.
Against the Fever last Wednesday night, Thomas fell into Clark in the second quarter of the game, and she proceeded to land a closed fist to her throat. Despite the obvious, the referees did not blow their whistles and let the incident pass.
One possession later, Caitlin also aggravated her already bad back after a dangerous closeout in which she landed on the defender's foot, causing her to miss the rest of the game. Interestingly, the referees reviewed the play not for a landing space violation, but because Clark hit her defender in the face. Caitlin started the third quarter but was ruled out of the game later with back issues.
"I know Caitlin makes a ton of money off the court in terms of endorsements and rightfully so, but I think that there's a petty jealousy, and she's a straight white basketball player. And she is not treated with any sort of respect whatsoever," added Esiason.
Interestingly, after plenty of uproar on social and mainstream media, the WNBA decided to review the Thomas play because the league has the right to reclassify a foul retroactively. They did so, resulting in Alyssa getting a one-game suspension, which she will serve in the Mercury's next game. But curiously, there was no foul originally. It was basically a non-call being overturned into a foul, which is egregious.
"Player safety should be paramount in our league," Fever team president Kelly Krauskopf said in a statement. "We appreciate the WNBA's review of last night's incident and the action taken. Right now, our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday."
Meanwhile, Clark is under contract until the 2027 WNBA season. Leagues in Europe and China pay more than the WNBA, and as we've heard former WNBA stars talk about their experience overseas, they did get royal treatment over there. But as Boomer said, Caitlin makes tons more in endorsement money, including from Nike, which just launched her signature shoe, so she may have no choice but to gut it out in the "W" because she has to.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
