Alyssa Thomas returns to public spotlight after serving WNBA suspension

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Alyssa Thomas returns to public spotlight after serving WNBA suspension originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Alyssa Thomas is back in the public eye following one of the most talked-about moments of the WNBA season. Just two days after serving her one-game suspension, the Phoenix Mercury star made a public appearance alongside her teammates during Mercury Night at Chase Field, where she and Kahleah Copper were invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the San Francisco Giants.

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The appearance marked Thomas' first public event since the WNBA suspended her following an incident involving Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, and it served as a reminder that the veteran forward is now preparing to return to game action.

Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper throw out first pitch

Rather than spending the day out of the spotlight, Thomas joined the Mercury for a team outing at Chase Field on Monday night. The Mercury shared photos and videos across social media showing players arriving at the ballpark before Thomas and Copper walked to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The team captioned the post:

"Mthey took us out to the ball parkkk night! ⚾️"

Thomas appeared relaxed throughout the event, smiling with teammates and interacting with fans as Phoenix celebrated its partnership with the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks rewarded the home crowd with a 5-4 victory over the Giants, improving to 42-42 on the season.

Suspension followed incident involving Caitlin Clark

Thomas served a one-game suspension after the WNBA upgraded her foul on Clark to a Flagrant 2. The incident occurred during Phoenix's matchup against the Fever when Thomas made contact with Clark around the neck area. Following the league's review, Thomas was suspended for Saturday's game against the Toronto Tempo.

Despite being without one of their leaders, the Mercury earned an impressive 89-80 victory. Kahleah Copper led the way with 26 points and five assists, while DeWanna Bonner finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Valériane Ayayi added 13 points, and Lexi Held chipped in 11 as Phoenix extended its winning streak.

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Thomas set to return against Seattle

Thomas is now eligible to return when the Mercury host the Seattle Storm on Thursday. Phoenix enters the matchup at 7-13, but the club has shown signs of building momentum after consecutive victories. With three straight home games coming up, the Mercury have an opportunity to climb back into the playoff race during the second half of the season.

Getting Thomas back on the floor will be a major boost. One of the league's most versatile veterans, Thomas impacts every area of the game with her scoring, rebounding, playmaking and defense. Her return gives Phoenix another chance to build on its recent success as it looks to make up ground in the WNBA standings.

For Thomas, Monday night's appearance represented a return to normal after several days in the national spotlight. Now, attention shifts back to basketball as she prepares to rejoin the Mercury lineup Thursday against Seattle.

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