Caitlin Clark spoke for the first time since her on-court altercation with Alyssa Thomas, denouncing hateful comments levied against all parties involved in the June 24 incident.
“The harassment, the hate, none of that is okay. That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches,” Clark said Friday at the team’s shootaround in a five-minute opening statement before any questions were asked.
Clark reiterated that her stance has been consistent. In June 2024, Clark said it was “disappointing” when asked how she felt about her name being used for “racism” or “misogyny.”
“The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect. People should not be using my name to push those agendas,” Clark said at the time.
The incident in question occurred in the second quarter of the June 24 game between the Mercury and the Fever, when Thomas appeared to push a closed fist into Clark’s throat while the latter was on the ground during a fight for a loose ball. No foul was called during the game, but the WNBA reviewed the play and retroactively handed Thomas a Flagrant 2 and a one-game suspension for a “non-basketball act.”
