Mercury's now-deleted social media post mocking Caitlin Clark draws scrutiny after star's injury

The Phoenix Mercury appeared to think Wednesday night was a good time to mock WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.

Then, apparently, the team thought better of it.

Screenshots circulating on X appeared to show the Mercury’s official account posting a meme after Phoenix’s 111-109 win over the Indiana Fever that included a cartoon player lying on the floor with the caption, "DE-WANNA PIECE OF THIS?!?"

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

The post appeared to be a play on DeWanna Bonner’s name. Bonner, of course, is now with the Mercury after a brief stint with the Fever last season, and the two teams have already had plenty of tension this week.

That timing was notable because of a particularly ugly sequence during Wednesday night's game.

Midway through the second quarter, Clark ended up on the floor after trying to drive to the basket. As players scrambled for the ball, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to drive her knee into Clark’s thigh and press her fist into the Fever star's neck and throat area. Many, including Indiana head coach Stephanie White, labeled the play a blatant cheap shot.

No fouls were assessed on the play at the time. On Thursday, the WNBA announced Thomas had received a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension following postgame review. The league said Thomas was disciplined for what it described as "recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area" of Clark and said the incident was deemed a non-basketball act.

Later in Wednesday's contest, Clark was fouled by Valeriane Ayayi on a 3-point attempt. Officials reviewed the play but did not upgrade it to a flagrant foul. Clark grabbed at her back afterward and later left the game and did not return. She finished with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes before exiting.

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After the game, White went off on the league's officiating.

"We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called," White said after the game.

She called the no-call involving Thomas "absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful" and called the treatment of Clark "absolutely unacceptable."

That context matters when examining the alleged post from the Mercury’s official account. Many professional sports teams, across all leagues, have adopted a more confrontational style on social media.

But there's a line that shouldn't be crossed. If the Mercury's post meant what it appeared to mean, the official team account could be read as mocking Clark after she took contact the league later deemed worthy of a Flagrant Foul 2 and suspension.

The post is no longer visible, suggesting someone inside the organization realized that maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

OutKick reached out to the Mercury to ask whether the post was authentic, who approved it, why it was deleted, whether the organization believed it was appropriate and whether anyone internally would be held accountable or whether the team would review its social media approval process.

The Mercury did not respond to OutKick’s request for comment by the deadline.

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OutKick also reached out to the WNBA to ask whether the league had any comment on the post and whether it had contacted the Mercury about the post or its deletion.

The WNBA did not respond to OutKick’s questions about the alleged post by the deadline. The league’s separate Thursday announcement disciplining Thomas did not address the Mercury post.

OutKick also asked the Fever for a response to the post and whether the organization had contacted the Mercury or the WNBA about the post, the plays White referenced or broader concerns about player safety and officiating.

The Fever did not respond to OutKick’s request for comment by the deadline.

Wednesday’s game came just two days after another physical matchup between the Fever and Mercury. In that game, officials handed out six technical fouls to five players, including Clark, Thomas and Bonner, and Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected after her second.

So, this wasn't a normal midweek regular-season game between two teams with no history.

The Fever and Mercury had already created a storyline. Bonner’s connection to Indiana only added another layer. Clark, as always, brought plenty of attention.

And that is the part the WNBA continues to struggle with.

Clark has brought a level of attention to the league that it has never had. That attention comes with higher ratings, bigger crowds, more conversation and more scrutiny.

It also means moments like this don’t just disappear because a social media post gets deleted.

It also means fans deserve answers.

Who approved the post?

Why was it deleted?

And if it was harmless, why not leave it up?

The Mercury should answer those questions.

And while the WNBA has now punished Thomas, the league still should answer why officials missed the play in real time and whether it views the alleged Mercury post as acceptable.