Phoenix WNBA coach says he's 'disappointed' with suspension of player for fist to the throat of Caitlin Clark

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts came out defending WNBA player Alyssa Thomas after she rammed her fist into Caitlin Clark's throat while Clark had fallen to the ground earlier this week during play. The incident took place Wednesday night, and Tibbetts has said that he is "disappointed" with the one-game suspension of his player, Thomas, received.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White as well as many others accused Thomas of taking cheap shots at Clark while she was down. Thomas' knee was driven into Clark's groin and then punched Clark in the throat. However, Tibbets claimed these were not "cheap shots."

"First off, the Mercury organization would like to let [Alyssa Thomas] know that she's 100% supported by us. The people in this league know who AT is. She's a competitor. She's a winner, and she's tough. The one thing she is not is cheap," Tibbets said.

“I respect [White] as a coach and a person, and I understand her sticking up for Caitlin in this situation. But to say that we had two cheap shots in that game, to me, is ridiculous,” Tibbetts added. “Steph knows AT, she got the opportunity to coach AT for two years, and she knows what AT stands for and what she’s about.”

"Next, I'd like to hit my disappointment with the suspension process by our league and our leaders in the W," Tibbets added. "This was not a thorough investigation, in my opinion. The people involved were not questioned at all. It's extremely disappointing. No one from the league called our security team or myself about what we felt like happened in this situation. There is a protocol to be followed."

He said that the suspension of Thomas relied on "social media screenshots."