Caitlin Clark’s Head Coach Flames Officials For Missing Alyssa Thomas’ Fist to Her Throat

The WNBA reviewed Alyssa Thomas' fist to Caitlin Clark's throat incident and have suspended the Phoenix Mercury forward for the next game.

Caitlin Clark’s Head Coach Flames Officials For Missing Alyssa Thomas’ Fist to Her Throat

Stephanie White and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

After Alyssa Thomas landed her fist in the throat of Caitlin Clark, the conversations surrounding the WNBA and its officiating have become the most dominant topic.

Fans, analysts, players, and coaches have been talking about the new, improved officiating and how it has panned out so far. At first, it seemed well-balanced.

But as the games went by, more and more players and officials were openly confronting officials, particularly when some serious fouls or no calls happened.

Head coaches of the Washington Mystics and the Minnesota Lynx have been reprimanded with technical fouls and ejections when they went ballistic against officials.

Becky Hammon has also lashed out, and so have multiple players, who called out the lack of parity from referees. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has now joined the list.

I didn’t see it in real time. When I went back to see it, yeah, I was surprised. I was more surprised that it wasn’t seen by the officials in real time… Sometimes I feel like all the officials are watching the ball, and nobody is watching the play. We had a player that was down on the ground. Certainly, some things can happen.

Stephanie White told James Boyd

The 49-year-old believes referees are not watching everything that goes on in the game, and that is why Thomas’ fist to Clark’s neck was not called or even reviewed.

After that game, White had also expressed how officials did not call a landing space foul on the Phoenix Mercury’s Valeriane Ayayi, despite reviewing it. That foul led Clark to leave the game with a back injury.

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Debates about the officiating have reached a point where any chance a reporter gets to be with former players or coaches, they want to get their opinion.

It’s more fun to watch, and there are such skilled players out there. We want to see them do what they can do. We don’t want to just see them get beat up.

Elena Delle Donne told ESPN

This was the Washington Mystics great, who was speaking with reporters before preparing to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Elena Delle Donne spoke about how she struggled with her back throughout her career and pointed out that in the past, it was tougher. But she preferred it if players were allowed freedom, rather than being pushed into dangerous plays.

Fellow inductees, Sparks great Candace Parker, and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, echoed Delle Donne’s opinion. The latter famously went after officials when Alyssa Thomas, again, crashed into Napheesa Collier‘s ankle last season in the playoffs.

The Lynx superstar has still not recovered from that injury and will probably miss more games this season. Reeve believes a lot of progress has been made, but the misses are becoming a problem the league needs to tackle immediately.

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NFL Hall of Famer points to physics to question Alyssa Thomas’ intent

While others try to answer questions about this incident between Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas as professionally as they can, in a podcast environment, they do not have any rules. That is why Shannon Sharpe said this:

Alyssa Thomas (middle) with her fist at Caitlin Clark's throat
Alyssa Thomas (middle) with her fist at Caitlin Clark’s throat (Image via Grace Smith/X)

Even if you say intent, because intent only matters to the individual committing the act. Caitlin Clark’s throat is still hurting. Whether she intended to do it or not… We’ve all fallen some point in time. Who falls on their fist?… Physics teaches us, nobody falls like that.

Shannon Sharpe said

The NFL Hall of Famer’s Nightcap colleagues, both former professional athletes who have played on the highest level, agreed that no one uses their fists to break a fall.

Their hands are supposed to spread out to avoid injuring themselves. He did not insinuate that Alyssa Thomas had some intent to go after the Fever point guard, but he wonders why a player would resort to such an action.

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