​Earlier this week, a report claimed that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped in to persuade WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas after the high-profile clash in which she appeared to strike Caitlin Clark’s neck. During a panel at the CNBC/Boardroom Game Plan event on Thursday, Silver was asked about the report that he had intervened in the Thomas suspension. While he refused to elaborate on his involvement, he offered extensive remarks about Caitlin Clark and the way she is treated by fans and the media.
Officials did not catch the incident during the game, but the WNBA ultimately suspended Thomas for one game after reviewing the event. Sports Business Journal, citing multiple anonymous sources, reported that Engelbert had not planned to suspend Thomas until Silver urged her to change course and impose discipline. “WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not planning to suspend Alyssa Thomas for burying a fist into Caitlin Clark’s throat three weeks ago until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver implored her to reverse course and issue the discipline, multiple sources told SBJ,” wrote Tom Friend.
A WNBA spokesperson told SBJ on Wednesday that it was “absolutely false” that Engelbert had not originally planned to suspend Thomas, but SBJ stood by its reporting. The outlet noted its sources as the basis for the claim, despite the league’s denial.
On Thursday night’s panel, Silver was directly queried about whether he intervened in Thomas’s suspension. He did not provide a straightforward yes or no, but he offered substantial commentary on Clark and the way she is perceived by fans and the media. “Let me give you a serious answer to that question. I think that ultimately the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating. And that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review,” Silver said. “I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her. I don’t think that issue is ultimately about officiating. It’s become political ping pong with her. And she’s a young woman who’s trying to improve her game, focus on being the best player as she can. And I don’t even think it’s fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about one foul — should it have been called in time or should it have been called a flagrant after the fact?”
Silver continued by praising the growth of the WNBA in recent years, highlighting how much of that progress has been driven by Clark. “That’s my response. People are allowed to think whatever they can, and whatever they want, about our league. But there’s so much to celebrate as well.”