NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly ordered WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend a player who struck Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in the throat during a game last month.
Multiple sources tell Sports Business Journal that Silver ordered Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury for one game after the June 24 incident.
CBS News reports the NBA and WNBA are in discussions over Engelbert’s future as commissioner.
“I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league,” Silver said Tuesday night. “We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.”
Officials reviewed the play after the game, but Engelbert reportedly had no plans to punish Thomas.
Silver then “urged” Engelbert to suspend Thomas for one game.
WNBA OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
Reviewing the footage of the interaction of Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, we determined Clark lifter her knees toward Thomas forcing Thomas to brace herself from falling. Caitlin Clark will be assess a post game technical 1. pic.twitter.com/fjq3fnKIbn
— FORTYFOUR_12oo (@HUSKER_D00_1200) June 25, 2026
Fever fans called for Engelbert to be ousted from her role as commissioner.
“If this is true, and I have no reason to believe it isn’t, it is simultaneously completely outrageous AND unsurprising… Cannot get her out quickly enough,” the fan wrote on X.
Sports reporter Mitchell Northam said the incident shows Engelbert is not the right person for the job of WNBA Commissioner.
“Not really sure what more evidence we need to see – she’s not the right person for the job,” he wrote.
11 members of a Congressional committee wrote a scathing letter to Engelbert.
The letter demanded protection for Clark who has been subjected to abuse since she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The GOP Congressional committee, led by House Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, warned the WNBA that a DOJ investigation awaits the league if the attacks against Clark continue.
The committee gave Engelbert until July 24 to respond to the letter.
I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from @WNBA Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women's sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics.
I'm putting the league on notice… pic.twitter.com/TPMpZ6a2Hx
— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) July 8, 2026