​The fallout from the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incident continues.According to reporting from Tom Friend at Sports Business Journal, it was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who pressed WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retroactively rule Thomas’ foul on Clark at Flagrant 2, a penalty that comes with a $1,000 fine, and suspend Thomas for one game.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEngelbert had not intended to impose additional discipline on Thomas, as, since a foul was not originally whistled on the controversial play, Engelbert deemed any further punishment, including a suspension, too strict.At least, that’s what Friend discerned from his reporting.The WNBA has pushed back on his conclusion, insisting that it is “absolutely false” that Engelbert had no intention of penalizing Thomas.Of Silver’s involvement, Friend writes, “Silver believed there was clear evidence of a flagrant foul, that he felt badly for Clark and told Engelbert she had to act.”Silver’s decision to step in further fuels speculation that Engelbert’s term as Commissioner could be nearing an end. Such rumblings emerged during the negotiations for the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), when some parties within the league indicated to SBJ that Engelbert would be removed from her position.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt an NBA Summer League press conference on Tuesday night, Silver was asked about Engelbert’s “future.” While noting that “Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league,” he also said, “We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.”Friend additionally supposes that other Clark-related dramas, including 11 GOP representatives writing a letter to Engelbert about the perceived mistreatment of the Indiana Fever star, could further encourage Silver, in consultation with the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors, to evaluate Engelbert’s standing.In a WNBA fan community teeming with disagreements, with lines often established between fans who were drawn to the league by, and thus fervently support, Clark and those who have a longstanding appreciation for the diverse population of WNBA players, all sides tend to agree that Engelbert has failed to meet the moment as Commissioner.However, Friend does cite those sympathetic to Engelbert and her “unenviable position,” where she must not “show favoritism toward the uber-popular Clark” because she also has to “appease players who believe they’ve been overshadowed by Clark.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA sense of feeling “overshadowed,” however, understates the emotional burdens experienced by players, many of them of Black and/or LGBTQ+, who get caught in the crosshairs of the toxicity that trails Clark. Thomas was not the first player to have death threats directed at her after an incident with Clark. It’s worth noting that, at least according to any reporting, Silver did not feel bad about what Thomas had to deal