Chicago Sky Uses AI to Block Hateful Posts from Reaching Player’s Feeds

The WNBA’s Chicago Sky is moving forward with its third-year initiative to support players’ mental health with a campaign created by partners BarkleyOKRP and Putney. This campaign allows players and others to block negative social media posts. The new campaign, called “Block the Negativity, Post Up Positivity,” was inspired by the fact that most female athletes have faced online harm that threatens their mental well-being.

The main feature of this campaign is an app that is installed on the phones of Chicago Sky players. This app, currently in beta testing, uses AI technology to recognize negative posts in players’ social media feeds and prevent them from appearing. The app will first be available to Chicago Sky players this week and will later be released to the public. In addition to blocking negative posts, the campaign also encourages fans to flood social media with positive messages.

Tania Haladner, the CMO of the Chicago Sky, stated, “The mental health of female athletes can be greatly impacted by comments on social media, and as the WNBA receives more attention, the challenge has grown. I am proud of our players for supporting this initiative and showing that mental health awareness is a priority that requires teamwork.”

The campaign features Chicago Sky players Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter, Isabelle Harrison, and Brianna Turner breaking through negative social comments surrounding them on the basketball court while making plays. Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon also appears to support her players. Partners of the program include The Angel C. Reese Foundation and Mesirow Financial.

The advertising campaign includes online videos, social media posts, in-arena events, a website and merchandise such as headbands with positive affirmations from the players. The videos were created by Miniac and directed by Cristopher Pina.

The campaign, “Block the Negativity, Post Up Positivity,” will debut at the Chicago Sky home game on August 15. Before the game, a panel discussion will take place in the stadium focusing on the connections between social media, female athletes, and mental health. Moderating the panel is Lily Rocha from NAMI Chicago, with panelists including Sheryl Swoopes, Dr. Ndidi Onyejiaka, and Cari Roccaro.

This campaign marks the evolution of ‘The Net,’ a program now in its third year, created by BarkleyOKRP in partnership with the Chicago Sky. ‘The Net’ was designed to provide a support network for mental health for women in sports and with this year’s program, to extend its reach beyond the Chicago Sky.

Betsy Ross, EVP head of client experience at BarkleyOKRP, said, “By incorporating AI technology into ‘The Net,’ we are empowering players to filter the social media messages they see and also promoting positive messages. We believe this initiative has the potential to benefit female athletes in the WNBA and beyond.”