The WNBA player who was banned for punching Caitlin Clark in the throat has been slammed for yet more violence in her latest game against the Indiana Fever.
The Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas served a one-game suspension without pay for the ‘non-basketball act’, after a postgame review determined that she had recklessly made contact with Clark’s throat with her closed fist.
Less than two weeks on from the unsavory incident – which sparked a nationwide storm, accusations of racial profiling and involvement from politicians – the rivalry continued on Thursday night when the Fever once again took on the Mercury.
Clark wasn’t playing in the game due to her ongoing injury recovery, so this time it was a teammate on the end of some physical play from Thomas.
Midway through the third quarter, the Fever’s Lexie Hull – who is one of Clark’s closest friends off the court – competed for the loose ball with Thomas, before appearing to receive an elbow to the nose.
In the aftermath she appeared bloodied as she wiped her face with a towel, and soon after was seen on the bench with tissue stuffed up her nose to stem the flow of blood.
Alyssa Thomas caught the Indiana Fever’s Lexie Hull with a stray elbow on Thursday night
Hull was clearly struggling in the aftermath and appeared to stem her bloody nose with a towel
The camera cut back to Thomas who was laughing with a teammate on the court
While some believed it to be simply a basketball play, others slammed Thomas for yet more violence against Indiana’s players.
The intense reaction was made worse by TV cameras capturing Thomas appearing to laugh just seconds later.
‘I guess Alyssa Thomas found it funny that she almost broke Lexie Hull’s nose,’ one fan wrote on X.
Another added: ‘She needs to be dealt with the way she deserves. She is intentionally trying to hurt other players! She needs to be checked out by [a] psychiatrist.’
A third claimed she needs to be ‘thrown out of the league’ after the latest incident.
Others, though, saw the play as ‘incidental contact’, with one noting: ‘It’s obvious that this was not on purpose.’
In the end, it was the Fever who got the last laugh, with the team running out narrow 92-89 winners over Phoenix.
Fever star Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury forward Thomas on June 24
The latest drama comes just days after a group of Republican lawmakers waded into the WNBA controversy surrounding Thomas and Clark .
Eleven Republican members of Congress entered the fray to demand that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert takes ‘accountability’ for the ‘multiple attacks’ on Clark.
The congressmen and women, led by US Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, sent a letter to the Commissioner, questioning how she intends to keep players, namely Clark, safe on the court.
The letter describes Clark as ‘the face of your league,’ crediting her for increased fan interest, television ratings and corporate sponsorships.
It claims that the former No. 1 overall pick has been on the receiving end of ‘unnecessary physical hostility and violence.’
Furthermore, the lawmakers expressed concerns that the ‘attacks’ against Clark, which have included hip-checking, eye-poking and recently, being struck in the throat, ‘may be racially motivated.’
Hull put tissue up her nose to stop it bleeding after being caught in the face by rival Thomas
Clark is the face of the WNBA and politicians weighed in over her being punched in the neck
‘As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,’ the letter read.
‘If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws.’
The lawmakers put forward three questions to Commissioner Engelbert, demanding to know; about the league’s review process for ‘physical hostility and violence on the court’; how the league holds players accountable for ‘overly aggressive acts on the court’; what steps the league is taking to protect players from online harassment.
The letter requested that the league respond to the questions no later than July 24.
