Why Didn't WNBA Refs Call Foul On Caitlin Clark Throat Punch?

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Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White ripped the refs for their treatment of Caitlin Clark

Thus far through her career, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, despite being one of the marquee faces not just of the WNBA but women’s sports in general, doesn’t get the treatment star players usually get when it comes to being protected by referees.

The latest instance of this saw Caitlin Clark get punched in the throat by Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury. While driving through the lane with 6:52 left in the second quarter, Clark stumbled and was landed on by Thomas, who then drove her fist into Clark’s throat as she stood back up.

Caitlin Clark was essentially punched in the throat by Alyssa Thomas and no foul was called on the play

A foul was not called on the play, and Clark exited the game in the third quarter with a back injury and did not return.

Caitlin Clark got punched in the throat & stepped on by Alyssa Thomas.

No foul, of course 🙄 pic.twitter.com/peBy5K3kfi

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) June 25, 2026

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White blasted the officials for what she considers to be a pattern of Clark not receiving the same officiating as her peers.

“No. 1, you’ve got to call it. It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White said after the game. “We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots [against her] right there that weren’t called. Absolutely unacceptable.”

“They were so egregious. I mean, a fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous [The referees] are coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that s— still happen. And the reckless closeout that they actually reviewed … that wasn’t upgraded. To me that’s like a do-over on a test; how do you screw it up again?” she continued.

“We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency. [Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.”

WNBA raised eyebrows by not including Clark on a 30th year anniversary graphic earlier in the day

Coincidentally, the shocking no-call on Clark happened on the same day that the WNBA caught heat on social media for not including her in a 30th anniversary graphic on social media.

It seems like a pretty obvious opportunity to put either Tamika Catchings or Caitlin Clark on this for the Fever. But the WNBA puts Sophie? This literally makes no sense…

Also would have loved to see Swin Cash on here for the Detroit Shock https://t.co/z37Al60o0f

— Quita Loves Sports (@quitalovesports) June 24, 2026

I’m not of the opinion that Caitlin needs to be featured on every single piece of WNBA media ever to exist

But

This is a commemorative anniversary poster for 30 years of the WNBA and she’s not on here?

And neither is AB or KM? You could even have gone with Tamika Catchings if… https://t.co/zb1FxJFIqO

— CC Report (@cc22report) June 24, 2026