In the aftermath of the Phoenix Mercury-Indiana Fever game on Wednesday, fans were buzzing about Caitlin Clark’s early exit in the third quarter. As far as analyst Jason Whitlock is concerned, there’s more to this situation than the physicality dealt to Clark by Mercury star Alyssa Thomas in the first half.
Though Thomas appeared to drive her arm onto Clark’s throat in the second quarter, Whitlock refused to lay the blame on Thomas, saying that CC looked unbothered by physical issues as the second half began.
“That happened in the second quarter. She looked great first five minutes of the third.”
Whitlock then implied that Clark’s third-quarter exit might have had something to do with an error she made, rather than an external act committed by any opponent. He also doubled down on his observation that Clark was moving just fine.
The Mercury went on to fend off the Fever as they claimed a 111-109 victory. After the game, Fever head coach Stephanie White blasted the game officials for the non-call in the Clark-Thomas situation, saying that it was “egregious” for the referees to swallow their whistles.
As for Clark, questions will continue to surface online until the Fever makes an official announcement about her availability for their next game.
Analyst Calls for WNBA to Suspend Alyssa Thomas for Actions Against Caitlin Clark
While Whitlock appeared to have a softer tone toward Thomas, sports personality Robin Lundberg (known to be a devoted fan of Caitlin Clark) had some stiff consequences in mind.
In an opinion piece published after the Fever-Mercury game, Lundberg called for the WNBA to take action by suspending Thomas for her actions against Clark on Wednesday.
“The play Thomas made as Clark was on the court was flagrant, whether the whistle blew or not…Anyone with eyes could see what Thomas did to Clark was not a clean basketball play and was of the dirty variety.”
Lundberg also argued that it is “imperative” for the league to review this sequence, as this will help to “ensure players are protected.”
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