WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert reportedly *didn't even want* to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas after her altercation with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. This isn't just a rumor, folks. The Sports Business Journal, the SBJ, dropped a bombshell report on Wednesday saying Englebert only slapped Thomas with that one-game suspension after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver personally convinced her to do it. Talk about a curveball!
The Foul That Almost Wasn't Punished
So, Thomas gets into it with Clark, right? And Englebert, according to the SBJ, was ready to let it slide. Why? Because no foul was called on Thomas *during the game*. Can you believe that? But Silver, he saw it differently. Sources told the SBJ that Silver believed there was "clear evidence of a flagrant foul" and that he "felt badly for Clark." He reportedly told Englebert she *had* to act. Wow. So, a one-game suspension finally drops, officially called a Flagrant 2, which also came with a $1,000 fine for Thomas. The WNBA, of course, is pushing back HARD on the SBJ's story, calling reports that Englebert initially wasn't going to suspend Thomas "absolutely false." It's a he-said, she-said situation on steroids, and it's all centered on how discipline gets handed down in the league.What This Means for the WNBA's Top Job
This whole drama? It might be bigger than just one suspension. Englebert is in the final season of her current contract as the WNBA Commissioner. The SBJ reports that some insiders think Silver having to step in and *persuade* her to enact punishment strongly suggests she's likely in her final season. It's a massive power play, no doubt. Silver himself spoke at an NBA Summer League news conference on Tuesday, and he didn't directly address the reports that he intervened. Interesting silence there, isn't it? What he *did* say was that he thought the league had made "tremendous progress" under Englebert and that she "continues to do a strong job building that league." Those are some careful words.Englebert's Future: Under Discussion
When asked about Englebert's future, Silver kept it pretty vague, stating, "We’ll have discussions about what the future looks like." That's not exactly a ringing endorsement for a new contract, is it? It sounds like there's a lot on the table behind the scenes. The big question now is whether this reported intervention from Silver has sealed Englebert's fate, or if those "discussions" will lead to a surprise extension. We're watching this one closely, because it's about way more than a single suspension.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.