Mercury's Thomas suspended 1 game for shot to Clark's throat - ESPN

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas has received a flagrant foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension for «recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area» of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the WNBA announced Thursday.

The incident, in which the league said Thomas «committed a non-basketball act,» happened with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter of the Mercury's 111-109 win over the Fever on Wednesday.

After Clark drove to the lane, she tumbled onto her side after making contact with defender Lexi Held. Held, Thomas and DeWanna Bonner collapsed onto Clark as they scrambled for the ball. As they tried to recover it, Thomas appeared to thrust her fist into Clark's neck. She then got up and stepped over Clark.

No foul was called on the play.

Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters that the game officials said they did not see what Thomas did.

«It's absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,» White said.

The Fever reiterated their call for player safety in a statement released later Thursday.

«Player safety should be paramount in our league,» the statement said. «We appreciate the WNBA's review of last night's incident and the action taken. Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday.»

However, per league rules, the league office has the option to reclassify a flagrant foul or to upgrade any non-call to a flagrant following its review of the game. The rule also allows the league office to impose a fine or suspension if needed.

«We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,» White said after the game on Wednesday. "[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the