We get it, coaches have to stick up for their players, but Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts went next level when trying to defend Alyssa Thomas for the cheap shots she hit Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark with earlier this week.
The cheap shots occurred on Wednesday night. It was clear as day based on video evidence that Thomas kneed Clark in the groin area and put her fist in Clark’s throat.
The dirty actions from Thomas, which certainly weren’t her first in the WNBA, garnered the Mercury star a one-game suspension, which she served on Saturday.
Fever head coach Stephanie White accused Thomas of taking cheap shots on Clark after the game, something Tibbets took issue with.
“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 said. “Steph knows [Alyssa Thomas], she got the opportunity to coach AT for two years, and she knows what AT stands for and what she’s about.”
The only thing that’s ridiculous here is Tibbetts’ comment.
Sorry, Nate, but the video tells a different story, as do videos of past cheap shots Thomas has taken on players. White’s assessment was spot on.
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever, 111-109.
Tibbets also took issue with the suspension process and said it was not thorough enough and he accused the league of caving to pressure because of Clark’s star power and the outcry on social media.
“The people involved were not questioned at all. It’s extremely disappointing,” Tibbetts said. “No one from the league called AT, our security team or myself about what we felt like happened in this situation.”
“The goal is to clean up our game, but I do think it’s important not to rely on social media screenshots,” he added. “This is a slippery slope. Let’s watch the whole play, the whole game.”
“React to situations like this with consistency. Let’s not base it on generational talent, fan base involvement, All-Star level players or role players,” Tibbetts added. “Let’s don’t base it off veterans or young players, or white players or black players, or international players.”
Again, what exactly was there to review and ask questions about?
It’s 2026 and we have a million video angles of everything that happens on the basketball court and all of them show multiple cheap shots from Thomas on Clark.
If anything, the only area where the WNBA failed in this process was not citing the knee to the groin.
There were plenty of ways to handle his statement on Thomas’ suspension, but Tibbetts used the one that made him seem most out of touch.
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