The Phoenix Mercury have removed a social media post that unintentionally appeared to mock WNBA star Caitlin Clark after she took a hard foul in Wednesday’s game in Indianapolis.
The Indiana Fever point guard left that game due to a back injury, but only after taking a punch to the throat from the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas. The veteran Phoenix forward wasn’t initially called for a foul but has since been suspended for an upcoming game after a league review.
Mercury social media staff celebrated Phoenix’s win over Indiana by posting a doodle of a player lying on the court and asking: ‘De-wanna piece of this?!?’
The doodled player wore a No. 24 jersey, suggesting the post was a reference to Phoenix veteran DeWanna Bonner, who happens to be engaged to Thomas. As reported by USA Today, the doodle was intended to capture the moment Bonner gave a ‘triumphant roar’ after hitting a shot while absorbing a foul Indiana’s Monique Billings in the first half.
And of course, the post gives a subtle nod to Bonner’s name in the caption: ‘De-wanna…’
Some fans initially thought the doodle was a reference to Clark, who wears No. 22, but was nonetheless mistaken as the intended target of the doodle. And as a result, Clark fans erupted online, prompting the Mercury to remove the post altogether to avoid any further confusion, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA Today.
The Mercury’s post appeared to reference Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner, who wears No. 24
Clark, who wears No. 22, was punched in the throat by Thomas, who received a suspension
Clark’s coach, Stephanie White said it was ‘egregious’ and ‘disrespectful’ a foul wasn’t called
Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver did appear to reference the Clark incident on Instagram by using a Michelle Obama quote to caption a picture of Thomas
Phoenix social media staff has been posting various doodles to reference in-game moments dating back to last season, USA Today reported.
Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver did appear to reference the Clark incident on Instagram by using a Michelle Obama quote to caption a picture of Thomas: ‘When they go low, we go high.’
Clark is expected to miss the Fever’s game on Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
Many felt she was on the receiving end of a cheap shot after taking a punch to the throat from Thomas during a scramble for a loose ball. Social media was in uproar over the incident, particularly among conservatives, who believe Clark is facing racist discrimination for being white.
‘This is our George Floyd,’ podcaster and fired Buzz Feed reporter Benny Johnson wrote on X, referring to the African-American man whose 2020 murder by Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests.
One of Johnson’s followers responded: ‘Charge that girl with assault, attempted murder and hate crime.’
Another person tweeted a screen shot of the moment where Thomas hit Clark and captioned it, ‘This is not a good image for the WNBA or any sports event.’
‘Wow ! Thats it for an assult? [sic] These are grown ass women that know better. If I throat punch someone at work I would be FIRED immediately !’ read another post.
Now in her third season, Clark is averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 assists and four rebounds per game in 2026. She has reduced her turnovers to 4.6 a game, one full turnover less than her rookie campaign in 2024.
