The WNBA has corrected its decision from the Indiana Fever-Phoenix Mercury game. From not even issuing a personal foul on the court to Alyssa Thomas for her physical play against Caitlin Clark, the league handed the former a one-game suspension. But just when it seemed that the decision was correct, WNBA analyst Dan Beyer shared a bold assessment.

“I don’t think that Caitlin Clark is innocent in this,” Beyer said via Fix Sports Radio. “I think we’re having and many people are having a conversation that we had two years ago and I just don’t think that that’s where we are right now.

“I think it’s easy to fall back and say the WNBA hates Caitlyn Clark. That’s easy to say. I think that it’s easy to say after the clip that we saw with Alyssa Thomas that gave her the one-game suspension.”

The sequence of play occurred during Q2 of the game. Clark was carrying the ball when she fell near the paint. The Phoenix Mercury immediately rallied up to steal the ball from the Fever point guard.

However, Alyssa Thomas took this sequence of play a bit too far in the very next moment. Highlight reels from the video show Thomas seemingly making contact with her fist on Clark’s neck. As per OutKick’s Jon Root, Clark also got stepped on by Thomas during the same sequence.

Yet despite this excessive physicality, the referees didn’t even blow the whistle, not even for a personal foul. Of course, it put the Indiana Fever on notice. Head coach Stephanie White even lashed out at the officiating in the post-game presser.

“It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it,” White had said. “You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that (expletive) still happens? Absolutely unacceptable.”

After considering and reviewing the play, the league took stricter action against Thomas. But Dan Beyer ain’t convinced yet, because he feels Clark isn’t innocent either. To back up his assessment, Beyer even pointed to a sequence from the last Phoenix-Indiana faceoff on June 22.

“I’m not saying that she deserved to get a fist to the throat,” Beyer added. “But there is a video from two nights prior of Caitlin Clark when Alyssa Thomas misses a free throw on the sidelines, giving a cheer, standing up, and applauding to the crowd and egging them on.

The game on June 22 between the two teams was a bit heated as well. Clark got into a scuffle with DeWanna Bonner, leading to five players receiving technical fouls. In the same game, as Bayer said, Clark was seen clapping and hyping up the crowd when Thomas missed two free throws.

Thus, Beyer’s statements make sense. But it’s important to understand that there’s a major difference between taunting a crowd and seemingly hitting a player on the neck. It’s true that Clark might not be completely innocent with her behavior across the two games.

But Caitlin Clark never got into a physical brawl or made any contact with Thomas. Furthermore, in their clarification tweet, the league has also explained the reason behind Alyssa Thomas’ suspension. The post states that Thomas’s contact was reckless, leaving not much to debate.

And a veteran analyst has also shared her props for the league’s decision.

Analyst Rallies Behind the WNBA’s Decision to Suspend Alyssa Thomas for Her Play Against Caitlin Clark

The league’s decision to suspend Alyssa Thomas is currently the most trending topic in the WNBA. Analyst Rachel DeMita also voiced her opinion on this matter, lauding the league’s decision and emphasizing the sensitive spot where Thomas landed her fist.

“So, I’m really glad that they did take it this far,” DeMita said on her YouTube channel. “I think it’s well-deserved. And again, whether you think it was intentional, whether you think it was targeted, whether you think it was premeditated, it literally doesn’t matter.

“Whether you think that she totally did it on accident and her fist was kind of in the motion, it does not matter. When it’s a foul above the shoulders, like getting hit on the head or the neck is a very dangerous place. And that is why these rules are in place. You just can’t do that.”

Now, the league’s preference for Caitlin Clark could always be a narrative that surfaces amid Alyssa Thomas’ suspension. But the WNBA’s decision shows that it is not hesitant to set examples through these situations.

The league is willing to protect their players, making the decision even more fitting.