Mercury stand with Alyssa Thomas amid Caitlin Clark foul suspension
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Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas won't play Saturday after a flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark.
Thomas will miss the Mercury's matchup against the Toronto Tempo (2:00 p.m. ET, CBS) following a Flagrant-2 foul and a one-game suspension for a fist to Clark's throat on June 24. Midway through the second quarter on Wednesday, Clark went to the floor and lost control of the ball while being defended by Lexi Held.
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During a scramble for the basketball, Thomas landed on Clark, pushing her fist into Clark’s throat. A foul was not called for the incident. The WNBA later suspended Thomas for one game on Thursday and upgraded the non-call to a Flagrant-2 foul. Thomas was also fined $1,000. The 34-year-old can return to play on July 2 when Phoenix hosts Seattle (10:00 p.m. ET, League Pass)
Throughout the week, several Mercury players have voiced support for Thomas, including her wife, DeWanna Bonner. "Forever got your front and your back!! We love you!!" Bonner said on her Instagram story with a photo of the couple.
Multiple Phoenix coaches also shared their thoughts on social media.
"We know the person you are, the heart you have, and everything you bring to this team every single day," two-time WNBA champion and assistant Tangela Smith said. "We stand with you, we believe in you, and we'll be right here beside you every step of the way.
Thoma's flagrant foul and suspension come amid a league-wide effort to improve and make officiating more consistent. Still, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie Whte says the foul on Clark should have been called during the game.
"I think the biggest thing for me is that we have to see it in real time," White said. "Yes, I'm thankful that the league went back and used their ability to go back and review it, but these are things that we can't miss in real time. We've got to be better."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mercury stand with Alyssa Thomas amid Caitlin Clark foul suspension