The WNBA is currently experiencing a surge in popularity.
However, amidst this moment of success, it has failed to protect many of its players.
WNBA players have been subjected to increasing levels of racist abuse, online hate, and even death threats, with much of the negative discourse reportedly coming from Indiana fans supporting Caitlin Clark.
At the end of the Fever’s season, the league’s Rookie of the Year spoke out against the behavior of online trolls.
“It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should face racism or receive hurtful, disrespectful, or hateful comments and threats,” said Clark. “Those individuals are not true fans; they are trolls, and their actions do a disservice to the people in our league, the organization, and the WNBA.”
Clark’s rise to popularity and her rivalry with fellow rookie Angel Reese have been positive for the WNBA.
The league has experienced a historic season with record-breaking TV ratings during the playoffs.
Unfortunately, this success may have inadvertently led the league to turn a blind eye to unacceptable behavior.
When asked about the rise in racist rhetoric earlier this month, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert likened the Clark-Reese rivalry to a moment similar to Bird-Magic, stating, “the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. That’s what makes people watch.”
The issue is that many have stopped watching and have crossed lines by sending hate messages and threats, as revealed by Sun players Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, who exposed the abuse they have faced. Carrington shared an email on Instagram that included racist slurs and threats of sexual assault.
The WNBA has since released a delayed statement in response to the incidents.
Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu condemned the behavior and questioned why it took the league so long to address it.
“It’s a tough situation, what I’ve seen about DiJonai receiving a lot of negativity. I empathize with her because she competes every single night,” said Stewart. “When hate and death threats come into play, there needs to be security looking into that. … There is no place for such behavior in this sport or any sport, as ultimately, we are talking about people’s lives. … So, Cathy, the league, the PA, and all the players need to send a clear message that this behavior is unacceptable and that we don’t want those types of fans in our league.”
Ionescu, who typically avoids such discussions, also expressed her agreement.
“The league should have taken a stand long ago when these incidents occurred and not waited until they escalated to this level to address what is and isn’t tolerated in our league as fans,” said Ionescu. “The racist remarks and incidents that have been occurring should be met with a zero-tolerance policy, and it shouldn’t take us reaching the playoffs to speak out about it.
“Such matters should have been addressed from the beginning by the commissioner, and should have been addressed every time they occurred. Moving forward, the right steps need to be taken to ensure that the league’s growth is matched by the growth of a fan base that feels safe, and where players can come to work without worrying about what is happening online. … Racism needs to be stamped out and not tolerated. There must be an end to any form of racism.”
