Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas says the WNBA failed to protect her after she received death threats and online abuse following a one-game suspension tied to an incident involving Caitlin Clark on June 24. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert responded, saying t
PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas spent a week dealing with death threats. racial slurs. and even the leak of her address after the WNBA suspended her. The on-court action happened on June 24. The public fallout followed immediately. And Thomas says the league’s response didn’t start soon enough.
Thomas. who is calling on the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert to protect all players. criticized what she described as silence from the commissioner after she received a one-game suspension for “recklessly” making contact with Caitlin Clark’s throat during the Mercury’s 111-109 win over the Indiana Fever on June 24.
“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy (Engelbert). It’s no surprise,” Thomas said after practice on Tuesday, June 30. “You can see what’s being said on social media … but as usual, she remains silent and that’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened. … The league has to do better.”.
Engelbert later issued a statement saying the WNBA “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate.” She said the safety and well-being of everyone in the community is the league’s top priority. that the WNBA was aware of Thomas’ comments. and that what Thomas and her teammates have experienced is “completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community.” Engelbert also said the league and its security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.
Thomas’ comments came after she described a “crazy” week in her first public remarks since the suspension. She said the fallout affected her family’s safety, citing racial slurs, death threats, and her address being leaked online. She argued the league has a duty to protect and support all players.
“I think the biggest thing is it’s just about our safety. We’re so concerned about the safety on the court. but time and time again. we’re having people threatening our lives. ” Thomas said. “At some point the league needs to (take) a stand on it. … I’m sick and tired of it and it’s time for (the league) to step up and have our backs.”.
The timing and communication were at the center of Thomas’ complaint. She said she didn’t learn of her suspension until 10 minutes before it was posted on social media. and she denied any malicious intent. Thomas called the contact with Clark “a complete accident. ” saying she “didn’t even know that play happened” until she saw clips of the incident online after the game.
“If you watch the playback, no one in the stands, their bench, knew that it happened,” Thomas said. “The whole narrative that’s being painted out there, it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball. A lot of us. myself included. didn’t even know it took place until after the game and now we’re being painted as thugs and there’s death threats out on us. So it’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league.”.
A person with knowledge of the situation said Engelbert exchanged text messages with Thomas and offered to have a phone call with her last week. The person also said Engelbert directed league security to contact Phoenix security amid ongoing threats. speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Thomas served her suspension during the Mercury’s 89-80 win over the Toronto Tempo on Saturday.
The controversy also prompted frustration from Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. Ahead of the Toronto game, Tibbetts voiced his anger at what he said was the league’s handling, saying, “the people involved were not questioned at all” or contacted ahead of Thomas’ suspension.
On Tuesday, Thomas echoed Tibbetts’ criticism and returned to the issue of player safety and communication.
She also described having seen similar vitriol before. Thomas said she experienced racial comments and online abuse during the 2024 WNBA playoffs when the Connecticut Sun. whom Thomas played for from 2014-2024. defeated the Fever in the first round. She said (Thomas and the Sun were coached that season by Stephanie White. who took over as head coach of the Fever the following season in 2025.) Thomas had previously said she “never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base” and that she had “never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media” and insisted “there’s no place for it.” She added that “We don’t want fans that are going to degrade us or call us racial names.”.
The WNBA rolled out its “No Space For Hate” platform ahead of the 2025 season. describing it as “a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.” Thomas said she has not seen meaningful change since the initiative launched.
“There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred,” Thomas said. “The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that, honestly, it was a complete accident.”
Engelbert’s statement, coming after Thomas’ remarks, did not directly address Thomas’ claim about not hearing from the commissioner during the week. But Engelbert did state that the league had been in contact with the Mercury’s security team and that protecting players remains a priority.
For Thomas, the point isn’t just about one suspension or one game. It’s about whether players can face escalating online abuse without the league stepping in fast enough and hard enough to protect them.
Alyssa Thomas WNBA Cathy Engelbert Caitlin Clark Phoenix Mercury Indiana Fever death threats online abuse No Space For Hate sports investigations