Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White came to the defense of Alyssa Thomas on Wednesday, joining WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in condemning the harassment aimed at the Phoenix Mercury forward after their June 24th WNBA game. Thomas was subsequently suspended one game after making contact Caitlin Clark's throat during the physical match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
White initially called the play "egregious," and a "cheap shot," but her tone shifted once the online response turned violent.
Fever head coach Stephanie White addresses Alyssa Thomas’ comments and “unacceptable” fan behavior: pic.twitter.com/55KB1zIX5z
— Tony East (@TonyREast) July 1, 2026
The Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark WNBA Incident Sparks Online Abuse
After serving her suspension, Thomas revealed she had received death threats and racial slurs. She also called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for the league's slow response to player safety concerns. White, who coached Thomas for two seasons with the Connecticut Sun, echoed that frustration.
"It is absolutely unacceptable," White told reporters. "Most of this coming from the online community."
WNBA Commissioner, Stephanie White Condemn Bad-Faith Fans
Still, White drew a clear line between fair criticism and bad-faith attacks. She argued that many of the hateful posts come from outside voices using the WNBA, the Indiana Fever, and Clark specifically, to push divisive agendas.
"I think as a league, as a whole, there's been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia, straight out nonsense, hate nonsense," White continued.
Following the outcry, Engelbert and the league released a statement condemning all forms of hate. White reinforced that message, reminding fans the WNBA Indiana community and the league as a whole stand for inclusion.
