Fever coach condemns online abuse of Alyssa Thomas after Clark incident

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White condemned racist online abuse and death threats directed at Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas after Thomas revealed the harassment she faced following a June 24 on-court incident. White spoke at practice on Wednesday, July 1, calling the behavior "absolutely unacceptable" and stating that a majority of the toxic discourse stems from online agitators rather than genuine fans.

Incident and suspension Thomas was retroactively suspended for one game for "recklessly" making contact with Clark's throat during the Mercury's 111-109 win over the Fever. No foul was called on the play at the time. Thomas described the contact as "a complete accident" on Tuesday.

Prior incidents and league stance Thomas said the recent threats have affected her family's safety, including leaked personal information, and that she faced similar abuse during the 2024 WNBA playoffs when her former team defeated the Fever. White recalled that series and said she does not believe legitimate fans are responsible for the current harassment.

"Our league is about inclusiveness. Our league is about competition. Our league is about elevating, elevating women, elevating marginalized communities, including and being inclusive of all different walks of life," White said. A league statement said the organization "vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate" and that security teams have been in contact with the Mercury organization.