“Unintentionally Putting Her Full Weight on Caitlin Clark”: WNBA Writer Raises Officiating Concerns While Addressing Alyssa Thomas’ Incident With Fever Star

WNBA“Unintentionally Putting Her Full Weight on Caitlin Clark”: WNBA Writer Raises Officiating Concerns While Addressing Alyssa Thomas’ Incident With Fever StarAdd us on Google

WNBA“Unintentionally Putting Her Full Weight on Caitlin Clark”: WNBA Writer Raises Officiating Concerns While Addressing Alyssa Thomas’ Incident With Fever StarAdd us on Google

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JUNE 22: Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas 25 drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 on June 22, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA JUN 22 Phoenix Mercury at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260622137

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JUNE 22: Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas 25 drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 on June 22, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA JUN 22 Phoenix Mercury at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260622137

Call it high-intensity competition or the unintended foul, Alyssa Thomas’ controversial foul on Caitlin Clark in the Phoenix vs. Indiana matchup in June should have been called in the moment. The referees’ failure to call the foul at the moment will forever remain a big officiating failure in the WNBA, an aspect that needed the league’s attention.

During a June 24 contest, while fighting for the ball, Thomas made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat area, according to the league. Replays also appeared to show Thomas driving a knee into Clark’s thigh, and the play prompted an outcry on social media. The league later reviewed the play and, the next day, suspended Thomas for one game after ruling it a Flagrant 2. According to The Athletic’s Zena Keita, the referees’ failure to make the ruling during the game invited unwanted attention.

“Two seasons back-to-back of high-profile moments…this season involving Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, in which Alyssa Thomas was not ejected during the game and removed for a Flagrant 2 for unintentionally putting her full weight on Caitlin Clark and in her neck area to get up off the floor in a game. It should have been called,” Keita said on the No Offseason podcast. “Any contact to the neck and head area, etc should absolutely have been called and dealt with in that moment, and it wasn’t, and that caused another firestorm of attention.

“Whether you want to argue about the intention or not, the fact is that should not have happened, and it should have been um adjudicated in that moment.”

The other high-profile moment that Keita was alluding to involved Napheesa Collier’s exit interview from last season. After being ousted by the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals, the Minnesota Lynx star blasted WNBA leadership, including Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and officiating in her viral interview.

“Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates,” The Lynx star said in the 2025 exit interview after the series loss to Phoenix. “Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after ‌year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.”

The WNBA’s officiating has come under heavy scrutiny in the last few years, especially since 2024, when Clark played her first season. Social media saw a regular flood of clips by fans claiming missed foul calls and extra physicality against Clark. The Fever star has also called out officials for missing foul calls and failing to protect players.

This frustration isn’t limited to players. Coaches and general managers have voiced similar concerns about officiating. Several of them told The Athletic that the “quality of WNBA officiating remains subpar.” They have called for better investment in technologies, like those bigger leagues have, to improve accuracy.

The league has finally addressed a big part of the concern with its latest investment. According to a statement released by the WNBA, the league will have centralized Replay Center operations at the start of the 2027 season, calling it an “advancement in the league’s continued investment in officiating, competitive integrity, and the overall game experience.”

The league will use the NBA’s state-of-the-art Replay Center in Secaucus, N.J., which was put in place in 2014. With the centralized review process, the Replay Center will give referees immediate access to multiple camera angles and help them make better decisions on controversial plays. All WNBA arenas will be connected to the Replay Center throughout the season.