Mercury Coach Disputes Stephanie White's 'Cheap Shots' Take on Caitlin Clark Incident

Before his team's June 27 game against the Toronto Tempo, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts felt compelled to clap back at recent comments Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White had made after the two teams faced each other twice earlier this week.

“The one thing [Alyssa Thomas] is not is cheap. I respect Steph White; I got to know her with USA basketball, I respect her 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, per an X post from Tony Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo.

He also added, “Steph knows AT. She got the opportunity to coach AT for two years, and she knows what AT stands for, and she's about."

Phoenix Mercury’s coach, Nate Tibbetts, addressing Alyssa Thomas suspension

“I’m disappointed with the suspension process by our league and our leaders in the W. This was not a thorough investigation in my opinion. The people involved were not questioned at all”#WNBA pic.twitter.com/f7mxNQjJ3U
— Toni Canyameras (@Canyameridis71) June 27, 2026

Tibbetts is referring to when Stephanie White said, "We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called. And I just say again, absolutely unacceptable," after the Fever's 111-109 loss to the Mercury on June 24.

The first of the two "cheap shots" White was referring to was when Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas put her closed fist on Caitlin Clark's throat after the two were going for a loose ball, which caused Thomas to be suspended for Saturday's game. No foul was called on this initially.

NEW: WNBA player Alyssa Thomas has been suspended after she cheap-shotted Caitlin Clark in the throat.

No foul was called during the game as Thomas was caught on camera jamming her fist into Clark's throat.

The league has now suspended Thomas for one game and will fine her… pic.twitter.com/dsFXNroz2L
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 25, 2026

The second was when a Mercury player essentially took Clark's feet out from under her after she took a three-pointer during that game. A foul was called, but it wasn't upgraded, as many believe it should have been.

Tibbetts is within his rights to have Thomas' back, just as White has Clark's back in the wake of this situation. It will be interesting to see what the response to his comments are.

Nate Tibbetts Expresses Frustration With 'Disappointing' Alyssa Thomas Suspension

Tibbetts didn't end there, either, as he also called out Thomas' one-game suspension.

“Next, I'd like to [address] my disappointment with the suspension process by our league, and our leaders in the W. This was not a thorough investigation, in my opinion. The people involved were not questioned at all. It's extremely disappointing [that] nobody in the league called AT, our security team, or myself about what we felt like happened in this situation."

He later added, "I do think it's important not to rely on social media screenshots. This is a slippery slope."

Again, Tibbetts deserves credit for having Thomas' back, and it isn't surprising in the slightest to hear him share these sentiments. But given the nature of what Thomas did to Clark during that game, and the public outcry that came about no foul getting called, most would agree that the best course of action the league could have taken was to suspend and fine Thomas for a game and then allow her to return, so that the league can hopefully move forward.

Hopefully his entire precidament will blow over, and the way the league handled it could mean there isn't further vitriol between these two teams.

WNBA fans will be tuned in when the Fever and the Mercury next face each other on July 9 to see whether that ends up being true.

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