Alyssa Thomas drew a one-game suspension, a Flagrant 2 and a $1,000 fine after Adam Silver urged Cathy Engelbert to punish her for a throat shot on Caitlin Clark, according to multiple sources.
Sources said Engelbert initially viewed a suspension as too severe because no foul was called on the floor, while Silver saw clear evidence of a flagrant foul and told her she had to act.
The WNBA called it “absolutely false” that Engelbert had not planned to suspend Thomas, and a source close to her said referee and basketball operations staff routinely shape such discipline recommendations.
Engelbert now faces broader pressure: House Republicans have threatened federal scrutiny over Clark-related bullying, she was booed at Barclays Center, and critics say the episode has renewed questions about her long-term future.