It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. From serving a suspension to facing online abuse and severe death threats, Thomas has been through a lot lately.
To make matters worse, she recently found herself in hot water after being accused of “faking” an injury to avoid the highly anticipated rematch against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Wednesday.
Thomas exited the Mercury’s 77-66 loss to the Chicago Sky on Tuesday – the first leg of a back-to-back – with an apparent leg injury. The 34-year-old suffered a non-contact injury in the middle of the third quarter while driving to the basket. She was immediately laboring in pain, attempting but failing to get up.
She couldn’t put any weight on her leg as she was helped off the court and into the locker room. To some surprise, Thomas returned to the court shortly after in the fourth quarter and seemed to be okay.
However, controversial analyst Jason Whitlock has accused her of faking the ailment to avoid facing the Fever on the second night of the back-to-back.
“The WNBA is hilarious. Thomas is faking an ankle injury so she can skip the Fever game tomorrow,” Whitlock wrote on X.
Whitlock was seemingly alluding to the growing rivalry between the Fever and the Mercury after Thomas’ flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, which struck the Fever star in the throat. The incident has fueled tensions between the two fan bases, with supporters from both sides continuing to trade barbs on social media.
While it remains unclear whether Thomas will suit up against the Fever, losing her would be a significant blow for Phoenix, which is already without two potential starters. Both Natasha Mack and Sami Whitcomb remain listed on the team’s injury report.
Thomas logged 31 minutes in Tuesday’s loss, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. The Mercury dropped to 8-14 on the season.
Alyssa Thomas Faces WNBA Punishment in Mercury Loss
Alyssa Thomas was also assessed a technical foul in the second quarter after arguing a foul call. It marked her fourth technical foul of the season, resulting in a $1,000 fine from the league.
Under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), players are fined starting with their first technical foul of the season. The first through third technical fouls each carry a $500 fine, while the fourth through seventh technical fouls result in a $1,000 fine each.
Upon receiving an eighth technical foul in a season, a player is fined $1,500 and automatically suspended for one game. Every additional technical foul thereafter results in another automatic one-game suspension.
With plenty of games still left this season, Thomas will need to be careful about picking up additional technical fouls moving forward.
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