Alyssa Thomas ended Wednesday night with 24 points and a win for the Phoenix Mercury. However, it is the events that occurred outside the realm of the box scores that have caused quite the discussion, with Fever reporter Robin Lundberg not pulling any punches.

Lundberg talked about the incident on his YouTube channel after the Mercury’s 111-109 victory over the Indiana Fever on June 24, labeling the actions of Thomas to Caitlin Clark deliberate and inexcusable.

"It's a dirty play. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Alyssa Thomas driving her fist into Caitlin Clark's neck… That is a dirty play by Alyssa Thomas, who has a reputation for being dirty," Lundberg said on his YouTube channel shortly after the game.

While trying to grab a loose ball during the second quarter, Thomas pushed her clenched fist right into the neck area of Clark and then stepped over her deliberately.

There was an official on the baseline at that moment, but no personal foul or flagrant foul was called. Clark, having scored 19 points and assisted with eight in only 20 minutes of play, left the court due to a back injury in the third quarter.

But Lundberg went even further by saying it was a dirty play and that the WNBA should have done something about it.

"Look. The ball is out of play here. It's one thing when the ball is there. The ball is out of play. You can see it. And then she drives her fist into Clark's neck, gets up, and steps over her. That has to be a suspension. It's just gotta be. Or else you're not a serious league," Lundberg also said on his YouTube channel.

Thomas, who is an All-Star six times, scored 24 points for the win. The hard fouls committed on Clark had never been labeled flagrant in the entire season, and it continued with Wednesday’s match.

The other closeout foul, which led to back injuries for Clark, was also considered during the game but was not labeled a reckless foul, raising yet another concern about the player’s safety.

The frustrations of White make yet another aspect of the whole situation, and are relevant to a larger picture created by the Fever.

Stephanie White Slams Officiating After Alyssa Thomas Incident

White wasted no time with the post-game comments. According to White, she found out about the Thomas incident at halftime and reported it to the officials right away, indicating that she saw the non-calling as an outright mistake.

"It was egregious, the fact that it was a no-call," White said in her postgame press conference on June 24. "I heard about it at halftime. I brought it to the attention of the officials. You gotta call it. It's absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful."

In addition to this, White called the contact "dangerous," adding to the list of complaints regarding the way Clark gets officiated overall.

The WNBA, as of Thursday morning, had yet to announce any penalty for this game. However, the WNBA regularly reviews games to see whether there are missed calls or flagrant fouls made.

The WNBA official gave Aliyah Boston a Flagrant 1 foul for her conduct during the game, making her the sole player to have been penalized in Wednesday’s game. It is yet to be seen whether Thomas' behavior will lead to more repercussions from the league.

Do you think that the WNBA should suspend Alyssa Thomas due to her conduct towards Caitlin Clark? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta