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Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides both commented Wednesday on the abuse WNBA players have recently endured on social media.
After Thomas’ Sun beat the Fever 87-81 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series to eliminate Indiana on Wednesday, she said the following about the mistreatment she has had to endure on social media as of late, per ESPN’s Andrea Adelson:
“In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase. It’s unacceptable, honestly. There’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media.
“Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names. I mean, we already see what’s happening in the world and what we have to deal with in that aspect. And we come to play basketball for our job and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and have social media blown up over things like that. It’s uncalled for. Something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or this league checking, there’s no time for it anymore.”
Sides also gave her take on the social media landscape and suggested that her players have been the subject of abuse as well:
“It’s a lot of hurtful, hateful speech out there that’s happening, and it’s unacceptable. When it gets personal to me, there’s no reason for it. These guys have to listen and watch—social media is their life. That’s just what they do. And they have to read and see these things constantly, and just all the stories that are made up of what people see or think they see. It is just not acceptable when it gets personal.”
In response to Thomas and Sides’ comments, the WNBA released a statement in which it noted that league security is monitoring social media and will involve law enforcement if and when it is needed:
Thanks in large part to the arrival of Fever superstar rookie Caitlin Clark, the WNBA has become more popular than ever.
With the increase in popularity has come a greater influence on social media, and while that can be a good thing in terms of growing the game, it also opens the door for negativity and disrespect.
As much as the actions of some on social media have cast a black cloud over the WNBA playoffs, the remaining teams have a chance to deliver one of the most exciting and competitive postseasons of all time.
The top four seeds all swept their way through the first round, setting the stage for the No. 1 New York Liberty to face the No. 4 Las Vegas Aces and the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx to face the No. 3 Sun.
A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu and Kelsey Plum are among the stars still in contention, and they figure to deliver some memorable performances on the WNBA’s biggest stage.
