Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was shoved in the throat by Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas during a game that has sparked widespread discussion about officiating and player safety in the WNBA.

Sophie Cunningham, a fan-favorite from the Indiana Fever, addressed the issue on her podcast, stating that opposing players are "definitely targeting" Clark and criticized the league and referees for failing to protect her. Cunningham said, "You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheapshotting [Clark] in the throat... they're definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her."

Cunningham also revealed that neither she nor her teammates saw the incident in real time, adding, "None of our team saw it happen because I promise you if we would have seen that happen, we would have had her back."

The incident occurred during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 111-109. Earlier, the Indiana Fever had defeated the Mercury 86-77 in a separate matchup.

Lisa Leslie, one of the WNBA's greatest players, weighed in on the controversy during an appearance on CBS Sports' "We Need To Talk." Leslie acknowledged the difficulty of officiating but said, "In this particular situation, I thought that the last official should have been able to catch that." She added, "I was actually watching this game, and I was like, 'Oh, wow — that was a bit much.'"

Leslie emphasized the need for improvement across the league, officials, and players: "I think, overall, the league has got to do better, the officials have got to do better, but also players — players have to clean it up."

She also reflected on the spirit of the game, saying, "We used to play in a way that we protected one another. Yeah, I want to play physical, I want to play hard, but I'm not here to hurt you."

The incident has drawn attention to the consistency of officiating in the WNBA and the protection of star players like Clark.

Sources