The Phoenix Mercury organization has faced intense backlash after posting a tone-deaf cartoon on their social media, just hours after a brutal targeting of WNBA player Caitlin Clark.
The stick-figure graphic showed former Fever player DeWanna Bonner lying on the ground laughing hysterically, with the caption: “De-wanna piece of this?!?” The image was widely seen as a classless dig at Clark, who had just been left writhing on the floor after being fisted in the neck/throat area during a loose-ball scramble.
On Wednesday night, Mercury player Alyssa Thomas was caught on film delivering a cheap shot to Clark, driving her fist/forearm directly into Clark's neck and throat. Video evidence also captured a knee to the groin area during the same sequence, but no foul was called.
Clark later left the game with a back injury after another physical play. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White unloaded on the officials postgame, calling out the “cheap shots” on her star player.
White expressed her outrage, stating that the lack of a call was “absolutely egregious & utterly disrespectful.” She emphasized that Clark is a “generational talent and a WNBA superstar” who was subjected to two cheap shots that were not called by the referees.
