WNBA fans defend Alyssa Thomas after latest Fever incident

Alyssa Thomas once again grabbed headlines on Thursday during the Phoenix Mercury-Indiana Fever game.

She went viral when both teams met on June 24 for an incident involving Caitlin Clark. Thomas’ fist made contact with the throat area of the star guard, ultimately resulting in a Flagrant 2 foul and a one-game suspension. It happened during a loose ball scramble in the second quarter.

Many fans and analysts called her out for the play, demanding a longer suspension. The league upheld the punishment, and Thomas served her one-game ban during the Toronto Tempo game three days later. However, she has remained at the center of discussions in WNBA circles, and many eyes remained focused on her every move on the court.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) — Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

WNBA fans defended Alyssa Thomas after her elbow hit on Indiana Fever’s Lexie Hull

While many fans have been critical of Thomas, more than a few of them defended her following another controversial play on Thursday. The 6-foot-2 forward picked up the ball and went straight up for a shot, but hit Lexie Hull in the nose with her elbow.

Alyssa Thomas elbows Lexie Hull in the nose pic.twitter.com/RRaCrdq0kH

— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) July 10, 2026

Plenty of fans on social media didn’t see anything malicious in the play and stressed that the contact was purely incidental.

“First, I’m no Alyssa Thomas fan. But that’s just someone going up for a shot and a person (Lexie Hull) got hit in the face. It happens. It shouldn’t even be a foul,” a fan said.

“Now THIS is a basketball play,” one reaction read.

“So we call goin up for a layup an elbow now .post engagement is crazy now days ,” a user wrote.

“Just part of the play that was not dirty but now she has a reputation,” posted another.

“It looked accidental, but she caught her like a UFC fighter,” one comment read.

“That wasn’t necessarily purposeful, just playing. I can’t stand the woman but that was incidental,” another fan commented.

Thomas led the Mercury with 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Kahleah Copper also contributed 22 points, along with five rebounds.

However, Hull and the Fever had the last laugh on the night, winning 92-89. Kelsey Mitchell powered the team with 29 points and eight assists, while Hull produced 10 points, including two three-pointers.