Story perspectives

League Flags Thomas, Suspends One Game After Clark Injury

6/28/2026

Summary

Thomas Flagged

The league upgraded Alyssa Thomas’s June 24, 2026 foul on Caitlin Clark to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.
Sophie Cunningham said the league failed to protect Clark after the throat strike, causing Clark, who left with a back injury, to miss Saturday game against Los Angeles Sparks.
Coach Stephanie White thanked the league, criticized officials for missing the foul, and noted Clark has nine flagrant fouls, the most of any player.

Summary

Cunningham Slams WNBA

Cunningham's pointing gesture went viral and dominated discussion on her “Show Me Something” podcast Friday.
She played with DeWanna Bonner last season, who appeared in nine games before being waived for fit issues.
Cunningham, dubbed the Fever’s “enforcer” and Caitlin Clark’s “bodyguard,” criticized the league’s graphic for omitting Clark and urged the WNBA to promote star players like Kelsey Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston instead of “random” athletes.

History

Historical Context

In 1997 the WNBA launched with eight franchises—including the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks—and a 28-game schedule, marking the NBA’s first women’s professional league. Since that inaugural season the league has refined its disciplinary rules, a process highlighted by Alyssa Thomas’s June 24 2026 flagrant-2 on Caitlin Clark. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in balancing player safety with competitive integrity.

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Thomas Flagged

The league upgraded Alyssa Thomas’s June 24, 2026 foul on Caitlin Clark to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.
Sophie Cunningham said the league failed to protect Clark after the throat strike, causing Clark, who left with a back injury, to miss Saturday game against Los Angeles Sparks.
Coach Stephanie White thanked the league, criticized officials for missing the foul, and noted Clark has nine flagrant fouls, the most of any player.

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