NEW YORK -- Discussions on WNBA officiating and Caitlin Clark have now reached NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver stated Thursday that Clark has turned into a "political football" in arguments about officiating and physical play in the WNBA, triggered by a recent incident involving the Indiana Fever star guard and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.

"Ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating," Silver said, "and that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time in the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant on review."

Silver offered these comments during an onstage conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Game Plan Summit, presented by CNBC and Boardroom.

"I have come to know Caitlin really well," Silver said. "She's an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. She has become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it's incredibly unfair to her. I don't think that issue is ultimately about officiating. It's become political ping-pong with her. And she's a young woman who's trying to improve her game."

The play Silver referenced took place during a June 24 game between the Fever and Mercury when Thomas made contact with her fist to Clark's throat in the second quarter. Thomas received no foul call during the game, but the league later upgraded the play to a flagrant foul and suspended her one game for "recklessly making contact with her fist."

Thomas later described the play as an accident. She noted receiving death threats and racial slurs after the incident, while also criticizing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect the league's players.

Clark and Fever coach Stephanie White have condemned threats directed at Thomas.

Since entering the league, Clark has helped significantly boost WNBA ticket sales and television ratings. Yet many conversations about her have centered on divisive topics, including race, officiating and politics.

"I don't even think it's fair to her that this has become a separate storyline about one foul," Silver said, adding: "Do we need to improve WNBA officiating? No doubt about it."