​NBA Commissioner Adam Silver implored WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to change her mind about suspending Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas for her incident against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during a game on June 24, according to a report from Sports Business Journal.Engelbert initially did not plan to impose any discipline on Thomas because no foul was called and a one-game suspension would be “too steep,” but the publication’s sources said that Silver thought differently, saw a flagrant foul and felt bad for Clark.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThomas was among three Mercury players scrambling for a loose ball with Clark. Upon Clark getting rid of the ball, Thomas hovered over her with a fist on her shoulder, which moved down to Clark’s throat. Thomas then stood up and walked over Clark with the ball going the other way.1 / 13Mercury guard Lexi Held (10) defends Fever guard Ty Harris (52) at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on July 9, 2026.(Patrick Breen/The Republic)Thomas was not called for a foul, but was given a Flagrant-2 foul, a one-game suspension and $1,000 fine for “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Clark the next day.From the story:”A source close to Engelbert said league ref ops and basketball ops personnel commonly make recommendations after potential flagrant foul calls, and that’s what happened with the Thomas decision. Other sources close to Engelbert have said she is an unenviable position — trying not to show favoritism toward the uber-popular Clark while also trying to appease players who believe they’ve been overshadowed by Clark. The death threats against Thomas, post-incident, are an example of what other WNBA players are dealing with.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”But critics league-wide, sources said, believe Engelbert has gone overboard not to prioritize the Fever star, and they point to the fact she has not once attended a Fever game in Indianapolis since Clark arrived three seasons ago.”Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NBA boss urged WNBA to suspend Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas, per report