Mercury coach claims Alyssa Thomas suspension was based on 'social media screenshots' after Caitlin Clark foul

Alyssa Thomas' thug-like play, punching Caitlin Clark in the throat and kneeing her in the groin, is indefensible. The league thought so, and so does the sane general public, who saw the WNBA’s biggest star mugged on the court like she was the victim of some schoolyard bullying. That didn’t stop Phoenix Mercury Head Coach Nate Tibbetts from defending Alyssa Thomas and attempting to throw the league office under the bus for their decision to suspend her for one game.

Prior to the Mercury’s game on Saturday against the WNBA’s newest expansion team, the Toronto Tempo, Tibbetts took the podium to address the suspension. "First off, the Mercury organization would like to let AT know that she is 100% supported." He didn’t mince words from the start. He wanted the media and public to know that he, his players and the organization stand behind Thomas' unsportsmanlike actions.

Tibbetts then aimed to provide a defense of the 13-year veteran through a supposed positive league-wide reputation saying, "People in this league know who AT is. She’s a competitor. She’s a winner. And she’s tough." 

WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR 'RECKLESSLY' HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN THROAT DURING SCRAMBLE

Most importantly, he addressed the claim that Thomas cheap-shotted Clark, which fans and Fever Head Coach Stephanie White have presented since their game on Wednesday: "The one thing she is not, is cheap." He then added, "I respect Steph White. I got to know her through USA basketball. I respect her as a coach and as a person. I understand her sticking up for Caitlin in this situation. But, to say that we had two cheapshots in that game, to me, is ridiculous."

Tibbetts then directly addressed his "disappointment with the suspension process" and the "leaders in the W." Tibbetts staked the bold claim that "This was not a thorough investigation," while explaining that he was upset that neither he, Alyssa Thomas, nor the security team were interviewed or asked to give their thoughts on the situation. 

This is an odd thing to be upset about. It’s as if talking to a biased party of Thomas’ peers would provide any beneficial assistance in the league’s decision. "The people involved were not questioned at all," Tibbetts stated. The video evidence of the flagrant foul speaks for itself. If I understand him correctly, it sounds as if he was expecting to be a part of the decision process, which is laughable. 

As Tibbetts was wrapping up his almost three-minute rant, he made sure to take a shot at fans defending Caitlin Clark online, seemingly making the claim that the social media noise surrounding the play led to Thomas’ suspension. "I’m a part of the referee task force," Tibbetts said. "The goal is to clean up our game, but I do think it’s important not to rely on social media screenshots. This is a slippery slope."

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This is where the anti–Caitlin Clark bias that we've seen from many of the Mercury's players and coaches over the past few days became clear. Tibbetts said, almost smugly, "Let's don't base [calls] on generational talent, fan base involvement, All-Star-level players. Let's don't base it on... white players or black players."

There it is. In my view, that's gaslighting. He appears to be implying — without offering evidence — that Caitlin Clark receives favorable treatment because she is a generational talent with a massive fan base and because she is white. At the same time, his comments could be interpreted as suggesting that Thomas's suspension may have been influenced by the fact that she is Black.

That's how I interpret his statement, and it echoes arguments I've heard from commentators such as Jemele Hill and Monica McNutt since Clark entered the league. In my opinion, it relies on racial insinuation rather than evidence.

Tibbetts ended his statement saying, "Even if the roles were reversed in this situation, make the storyline, the storyline, and the suspension the same."

The fact that so many of Thomas's teammates, along with the Mercury's associate head coach and head coach, have shown unwavering support for a blatantly unsportsmanlike play against the league's biggest star suggests they aren't viewing the incident objectively. They seem unwilling to acknowledge that a play like this — regardless of the player involved — warrants a suspension. Furthermore, the fact that Caitlin Clark has been assessed or been the target of flagrant fouls at such a high rate should be a cause for concern. It's something the league should address, call out and punish appropriately.

This felt a lot like what we’ve seen from Democrats over the last decade trying to downplay crime and lawlessness in our cities across the country. It’s disingenuous argumentation that devalues legitimate issues that need addressing and accountability.

The Indiana Fever take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET without their superstar Caitlin Clark, who is out with a back injury sustained in their matchup against the Mercury.