Lisa Leslie Urges Players to 'Clean It Up' After Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas Incident

WNBA legend Lisa Leslie didn't mince words about her reaction to what happened between Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas when the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury played earlier this week, which she conveyed during a June 27 segment on CBS Sports' "We Need To Talk" show.

After Leslie said that she saw the incident where Thomas put her closed fist on Clark's throat after the two fought for a loose ball live thought it "Was a bit much," Leslie said, "In that moment, I thought that the official missed the call. I'm not surprised that the league went back and fined Alyssa Thomas. 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. We used to play in a way that you protected one another. Yeah, I want to play physical, I want to play hard. But I'm not out here trying to hurt you," per an X post from We Need To Talk.

She then spoke about how if she got tangled up with a player or got in a physical altercation, she would have made sure the player was okay afterwards and helped them up. Leslie added, "I think that part is important, too; the reaction. Maybe if Alyssa Thomas would have even turned, been like, 'Dang. My bad. I didn't mean to hit you like that.' It's a different thing. But that's not what happened.

"And so, I think that the league got it right. But I think, overall, Coach Tibbetts is correct. Consistency is important. It needs to be cleaned up for all players, regardless of what their accolades are. None of that matters. It matters about protecting these players. No matter which team, which position, when they sub in, [from] the start of the game to the end of the game. Every player deserves the same type of protection," Leslie concluded.

"The League HAS to do better!"@LisaLeslie on the inconsistency with the WNBA's officiating pic.twitter.com/OrF2AO89qt
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) June 27, 2026

Lisa Leslie's Thoughtful Stance Doesn't Come With Bias

Lisa Leslie has long been considered one of the wisest and most articulate minds in basketball, both when it comes to X's and O's on the court and all the discourse that surrounds the game.

And her take here was spot on for several reasons. One is that she wasn't afraid to critique what Thomas did without calling her out directly. Leslie's ability to speak calmly about what has become such an emotionally charged topic will help people see the logic in her stance.

Plus, she gave Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts credit for seeking consistency in how games and physicality are officiated, which is what everybody is ultimately looking for. In doing so, Leslie is turning the focus toward how incidents like these can be avoided in the future, rather than staying stuck in the past and dwelling on what has already happened.

The ultimate hope for everyone within women's basketball is that cooler heads will prevail, both on the court, among the media, and among every team's fan base. And Leslie's comments bring us a step closer to that becoming reality.

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