Lisa Leslie Says WNBA Got 1-Game Thomas Ban Right as Clark Incident Exposes Officiating Gaps
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 27
Lisa Leslie Says WNBA Got 1-Game Thomas Ban Right as Clark Incident Exposes Officiating Gaps
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 27
Summary
Lisa Leslie said the WNBA handled Alyssa Thomas correctly after the Phoenix forward shoved Caitlin Clark in the throat, but argued officials and players both "have to do better."
Leslie said one of the game officials should have caught the June 24 incident live and questioned why no replay review followed, calling consistency in officiating a league-wide issue.
The Hall of Famer backed Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts' broader complaint about consistency, while saying physical play is part of the sport but players should not cross into trying to hurt opponents.
Leslie added Thomas might have faced a lighter outcome than the 1-game suspension if she had responded differently afterward and apologized to Clark, framing the episode as a test of league standards for all players.