WNBA denies report that Adam Silver urged suspension of Alyssa Thomas
WNBA denies report that Adam Silver urged suspension of Alyssa Thomas
Scooby Axson, USA TODAYWed, July 15, 2026 at 1:32 PM UTC
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver implored WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas after she put her fist into the throat of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game on June 24, according to a Sports Business Journal report.
A WNBA spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, July 15, that the SBJ reporting is "absolutely false."
Thomas was not called for a foul in the moment but was given a flagrant-2 foul, one-game suspension and $1,000 fine for "recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area" of Clark when the play was reviewed the next day.
SBJ reports Engelbert initially did not plan to impose any discipline on Thomas and added that the publication's sources said: "Silver believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul, that he felt badly for Clark and told Engelbert she had to act."
According to WNBA rules, the league office may review and reclassify any foul not called during a game and impose a fine and/or suspension. The WNBA Referee Operations and Basketball Operations do review the plays and make recommendations to the league leadership.
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Silver was asked about Engelbert's job performance during an NBA Summer League news conference this week.
"Cathy and I work together, and I don’t want to speak for Cathy,” Silver said. “But I’m very pleased with where the WNBA is. We made tremendous progress under her leadership over the last several years. Cathy continues to do a strong job building the league.”
Silver was asked the same thing in March when the WNBA signed a historic new collective bargaining agreement.
"We haven't had those discussions yet with the WNBA board," Silver previously said. "I would only say Cathy has done a fantastic job since she's come to the WNBA. Obviously, you could see (that) in the results."
The 61-year-old Englebert has been WNBA commissioner since 2019, and her tenure has been rocky at times. Just this past week, she was criticized for canceling a scheduled interview with radio host Dan Patrick.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA denies report NBA's Adam Silver urged Alyssa Thomas suspension
Source: “AOL Sports”
